| JWissmille 2004-10-24, 2:08 am |
| http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?...&PAG=461&dept_i
d=13091&rfi=6
http://tinyurl.com/6rh4c
ER nurses honored for excellent care
By: Pat Conway 10/08/2004
If you watch "ER" on Thursday nights, you've seen the emergency room
nurses who work just as hard as the doctors to give each patient the best
care possible. But those nurses are only acting.
It's the nurses staffing the emergency department at New Milford
Hospital who are the real heroes. Dedicated, caring professionals with
extensive expertise and a genuine love for what they do, these women will be
honored the week of Oct. 10 through 16 during Emergency Room Nurses Week, a
nationwide celebration.
Sponsored by the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA), the week is set
aside to remember the care and compassion these nurses give to both their
patients and their community.
One of those patients, Janet Bryant of Bridgewater, calls the staff of
the emergency room "wonderful." Mrs. Bryant suffered chest pains June 12 and
thought she was having a heart attack. Rushed to the ER at New Milford
Hospital, she recalls the excellent service she was given. "The highly
trained nurses had a great sense of calm and reassurance. They had a
wonderful manner," she said. "They did everything right--they couldn't have
been better."
Dr. Thomas Koobatian, Chairman of Emergency Medicine, who has been
affiliated with the hospital since 1997, works closely with these nurses on
a daily basis, and has nothing but the highest praise for them.
"Our nursing staff is the backbone-that is what will make or break
your efficiency or quality of care. We work as a team," said the University
of Vermont college of Medicine graduate. "The nurses provide a level of
expertise that we value, another set of eyes for the five doctors who work
in the emergency department."
The 22 nurses in the emergency department have CPR training and are
certified in Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS). They attend classes and
seminars to be on the cutting edge, including staff training for
bioterrorism and SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome).
New Milford Hospital's emergency department sees 20,000 patients
yearly, including approximately 55 daily in the winter and 90 a day during
the summer. "It's seasonal," said Anne Lillis, Director of Nursing
Outpatient Services. Wintertime brings in a lot of orthopedic accidents from
ice skating and skiing, as well as pneumonia and flu-related illnesses,
while the summer ushers in outside environmental injuries such as trauma,
insect bites and Lyme disease.
"Not a day goes by that we don't see people with Lyme disease," said
Dr. Koobatian.
"They don't know they have it," added Sue Reich, an overnight nurse in
the emergency department who graduated from St. Francis School of Nursing in
Pittsburgh, Pa., and came to the hospital in 1982. She remembers a man
coming in with a drooping mouth who couldn't even smile. He didn't know it,
but he had Lyme disease. "We're good about picking out the symptoms," the
Washington Depot resident said.
Like Mrs. Reich, the other emergency department nurses have a long
track record in the department, which says a lot about how much they enjoy
their work. Mrs. Lillis, who got her BSN degree at the university of
Hartford and her Master's in Healthcare Administration at Western
Connecticut State university in Danbury, has spent 38 years at New Milford
Hospital, 25 of them as Nursing Director in the emergency department.
"Basically I always liked ER," the New Milford resident said. "I like the
rapid movement of people and the instant gratification of people getting
better."
Nancy Stolz of New Milford has been at the hospital since 1981. She
got her nursing degree at Western Connecticut State university and worked
for five years for Hartford Hospital in the open heart surgery unit. After
working in intensive care at New Milford Hospital, she decided to switch to
the emergency department. "I thought a variety would be nice and I found I
enjoy all the parts of the ER," she said.
Betty Pokrinchak, who lives in Warren, has worked at New Milford
Hospital for19 years. A graduate of St. Vincent's Medical Center in
Bridgeport, she worked in an ER during her senior year. "You get to see
everything," she said. "It's great."
The department treats everything from heart attacks, strokes, sprained
ankles and broken arms to serious fevers, traumas and accidents.
The nurses and doctors, working in sync on a daily basis, have
developed a mutual respect and admiration for one other. "We get on
incredibly well with them," said Mrs. Stolz. "We laugh with each other ... .
It works." Mrs. Reich added that there is no hierarchy. "We all have a role
and we all treat each other like co-workers-it's great for patient care. In
fact," she said, "it's the hallmark characteristic of our emergency room."
A volunteer for six years in the emergency department, Peggy Horwitz
of Bridgewater would readily agree. "Working here has let me see firsthand
the topnotch care given by the doctors and nurses to the patients. They are
not only excellent at what they do," she said, "but are so very kind and
considerate of everyone they see and treat."
But working in a fast paced, traumatic environment that changes every
day can raise the stress level of anyone. So how do the nurses cope with the
pressures and trauma?
"We're a close knit group," Mrs. Reich explained. "We're our own
support system. We share our concerns with one another."
"If there is a death, we talk about it and that helps us," added Mrs.
Stolz. There is also help available from Social Services.
Most of the nurses admit that they are greatly affected by seeing sick
or dying children. "Most of us are moms so we feel it's our child when they
come in," said Mrs. Pokrinchak. "It tears at your heartstrings," Mrs. Lillis
said, "especially [to see] teens in car accidents."
But the strong bond between these nurses also helps them to cope. "We
care about each other," said Mrs. Pokrinchak. "When something happens to one
of us, we all do what we can." They also socialize with one another at
holiday parties and birthdays and attend seminars together.
For a little relaxation, the nurses admit they all have different
venues. Mrs. Lillis likes to hike and garden, while Mrs. Stolz can be found
exercising at The Club in New Milford. A lover of horses, Mrs. Pokrinchak
owns four and loves to go trail riding.
Fifteen years ago, she got an electronic keyboard which she takes
everywhere. A friend of hers plays the sax and, when they go camping, they
like to entertain fellow campers. Mrs. Reich likes to relax by quilting and
has co-authored a book about quilts and quiltmakers in Connecticut.
During his time off, Dr. Koobatian, who lives in Southbury, enjoys
playing with his three children-a fourth is expected any day.
To be a nurse in the emergency department requires several important
requirements, according to the nursing staff. "You can't get flustered, you
have to keep your cool, especially when all 10 beds in the emergency
department are filled," noted Mrs. Pokrinchak. "You need interpersonal
skills to deal with the public," added Mrs. Stolz, while Mrs. Reich said you
have to be able to prioritize.
"If you want to work here," explained Mrs. Lillis, "you have to be
able to jump from one scenario to the other. It becomes more fine tuned as
you learn how to triage."
Dr. Koobatian calls the emergency department a highly charged
environment that challenges nurses to their limit. So it's most fitting that
these dedicated professionals are being honored with a week devoted to them
in celebration of the excellent care and skills they provide and the
compassion they bring to their work.
The emergency department of New Milford Hospital is located at 21 Elm
Street. For more information, call 860-350-7222 or 860-350-7223.
İNew Milford Times 2004
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