Often described as an art and a science, nursing has a long and important legacy at CHRISTUS Health.

Throughout CHRISTUS’ rich history, nurses have demonstrated a constant presence of compassion and are at the very center of our mission to extend the healing ministry of Jesus Christ. Nurses are on the front lines delivering quality care 24/7 all across the CHRISTUS system, serving with dedication and a strong commitment to quality patient care.

During National Nurses Week this year, CHRISTUS honors the almost 13,000 nurses who work with us, both in the United States and in Latin America. They work in emergency rooms, school-based clinics, in intensive care units and operating rooms, to name just a few. They have many roles and touch many different lives.

They don’t just deliver great care, though. They also help us to continually improve the care and service we provide. Forever with an eye on data, over the last few years our nurses and other caregivers have implemented best practices like hourly rounding, nurse leader rounding, and bedside shift reporting.

There are a lot of great nurses in the world, but it takes a special calling, a higher calling, to be a CHRISTUS nurse. At CHRISTUS St. Frances Cabrini they honored nurses this week with a special blessing of the hands ceremony.

Mary Rogers pictured in the middle received the Daisy Award for excellence in nursing  with Celeste Bordelon (left) and Chief Nursing Officer Cathy Blise (right) there to congratulate her on the recognition.

 

And, just like at CHRISTUS Cabrini, at other hospitals across the system, special attention was paid to those nurses who go above and beyond the call of duty to serve their patients.

Like Violet Jolie, RN at CHRISTUS Ochsner Lake Area or Sean Conner, RN at CHRISTUS Ochsner St. Patrick in Lake Charles, La.

Both were recognized for their compassionate work as nurses and were awarded Associates of the year in their ministries.

“I have been at CHRISTUS Ochsner St. Patrick for 4 years in June and this is my first career,” explained Sean.

At the age of 26, Sean already has a great love of nursing. His mother is a nurse, and when he was younger, he witnessed the compassionate care his great grandparents received as their health declined. He felt called to serve. Being able to serve at a Catholic, faith-based facility is also especially meaningful for this highly trained nurse.

“This career allows for me to care for people in need. It touches my soul to be able to care for others and extend graces to those we serve.”

Thank you to nurses like Sean and Violet pictured below. There are thousands of them within our organization, and CHRISTUS is forever grateful for their hard work and giving spirit.