A salute to all nurses during National Nurses Week.

Every year from May 6 to 12, nurses are recognized for their service and dedication to caring for others and improving the health of their patients. Today you’re going to hear about three nurses affiliated with Bonner General Health who exemplify the profession.

We’ll start with Ann Berger, who became a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) in the mid-1970s when she was around fifty. Seeing a picture of herself back then, she exclaimed, “Oh my goodness. That was one of the best days of my life. I got to do something I wanted to do all my life.”

Today, she’s 98 and although no longer nursing, Ann Berger is still going strong according to her granddaughter and roommate Michelle Berger. “I still have her pins and nurse cap she gave me years ago. I remember as a child I spent a lot of time in this hospital. She was on call often. We would be swimming at the beach or out having fun with her and her beeper would go off.”

Michelle Berger and her sister would hang out in a room that had a couch and television, or they would roam the hospital halls waiting for “Grandma” to get out of surgery. She said that she knew even then that she wanted to be just like her.

And, like her she is. Berger became a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) right out of high school with a plan to continue nursing. But, like many of us, her direction changed course several times. She obtained her medical assistant certificate; she became an emergency medical technician; she worked as a health unit coordinator in the emergency department; she obtained her human services degree and worked at some local boarding schools until about five years ago when she returned to BGH.

“I started back first at Bonner General Immediate Care for a year, and then was placed in BGH Orthopedics. I have recently joined the clinic administration team and am now the manager of the clinic. Fortunately, I can stay active working in the front and back office. I am so glad that I have been given the opportunity to appreciate orthopedics. I have been a part of most of the clinics here at BGH in one way or another and am so glad that I have been given the opportunities that I have here at BGH.”

Becki Dotson, MBA, MSN, RN, NEA-BC is the chief nursing officer at BGH. She and her family moved here from Nashville nine years ago to “enjoy the outdoor adventures Sandpoint offers!”

I asked Dotson to describe the “best” nurse. She said, “The best nurse is one that puts the patient at the center of his or her practice. Promoting positive patient outcomes as a vital member of the healthcare team is essential. Nurses today must possess many qualities and skills including critical thinking, excellent communication skills, adaptability, compassion, and integrity (to name a few).”

This year’s theme for Nurses Week is “Nurses Make a Difference.” Dotson thinks that theme is particularly appropriate for nurses who work in a rural setting.

“Working in a critical access hospital (CAH) is dramatically different from a large hospital. Practicing rural nursing allows for the care of patients with a wide variety of illnesses and injuries providing for a broader spectrum of practice than is often the case in a large facility. Also, because we have a smaller staff than larger facilities, we are able to build relationships and personal connections with both our patients and fellow team members. 

“The scope of patient care of a CAH is to provide general and essential services. BGH provides a robust array of services, including emergency, surgery, intensive care unit, family practice and internal medicine. We also provide specialty care including orthopedics, behavioral health and ophthalmology.  Travel to a larger, tertiary facility may be required for select specialist or higher level of care. We have strong community partners, including Bonner County EMS and Life Flight, that we work closely with for those patients requiring transfer to a higher level of care,” Dotson said.

Michelle Berger said that her grandmother, Ann, worked hard at going to school and becoming a nurse, but “it never affected her wonderful, and beautiful energy for her family. I’m sure she had to be tired at times, but we would never know that. I really just wanted to be like her in every way, but especially in the medical field, helping others. 

Kathy Hubbard is a member of Bonner General Health Advisory Council. She can be reached at kathyleehubbard@yahoo.com.