Angee Rozio-Brewer

Text version of Angee Ronzio-Brewer's keynote remarks

Hello! My name is Angee Brewer and I am a registered nurse from Saint Mary’s Health Center in Saint Louis on a surgical floor.
I believe nursing is a great and rewarding profession. Although charting, passing out medications, and attending to the physical needs of patients consume the majority of a nurse’s day, the other part deals with the emotional side. Whether it is a grieving family, an elderly person with no support, or a patient who has lost all sense of hope, a nurse’s compassion can be the start to a great recovery.

I can think of no better way to illustrate this than to tell you this story. On an extremely busy day with call lights buzzing, doctors  calling, orders piling up and patients being whisked off to surgery, I remember seeing my patient care manager looking for help with a difficult dressing change on a former patient.  I was busy, but I knew I could help her. As we arrived in the outpatient area, we were met by a visibly upset and confused woman. It took only minutes to console her, apply the dressing and explain what we were doing, but we watched her demeanor change from despair to happiness and then eagerness to move forward with her recovery.

I told the patient to notify her physician if she had any problems, and, as it turns out, she did. Two days later, I was very surprised to learn that she was one of my patients. I walked in her room to reintroduce myself, and she said she was happy to see a friendly face. It turns out that this was the only good news she would receive that day. She was in for a long recovery from a difficult diagnosis. As her days as a patient turned into weeks and weeks turned into months, I listened to her, laughed with her, attended to her needs, and did my best to make her hospital stay more pleasant. I’ll confess that she became an anticipated part of my daily routine.

It was late fall, and as all of us in the medical field know, holidays in the hospital can be hard. It became clear that this patient was struggling emotionally and could use some holiday cheer. Our 2 west-team decided to make her a basket of gift certificates and day-to-day products. We all felt that she was not just a patient, but a part of our adopted family. I believe we were able to bring some joy to her during those difficult days. We made it through the holidays, and finally the day came for her to go home. I am happy to say that we still see her on 2 West not as a patient, but as a friend.

This story reminds me of why I became a nurse. It is a great feeling to know that, as a nurse, I changed someone’s life for the better. I know that the sisters delivered both spiritual and physical care and were inspired every day by their patients. I am proud to be a part of the 2 west family and together we can continue the tradition of the sisters.