All week, we’ve been celebrating nurses — because we’re so proud of them! We are fortunate to have nearly 225 nurses who serve in dedication to our residents. They care for residents in assisted living and the Health Center and providing health services to independent-living residents.
Today, we are especially pleased to be highlighting what it means to dedicate your entire career in service. Westminster COO Garry Hennis wrote that nursing is a calling, and deserves its special role in our society. Read about leadership in nursing, our Employee Scholarship Fund, or how the Mission inspires our team members, from earlier this week.
Denise Dearborn, a Registered Nurse at Westminster Point Pleasant in Bradenton, has been a nurse for more than 40 years. She’s been at the community since 2008, and she loves the sense of fulfillment she gets from caring for residents — something that’s only possible in a long-term care setting.
Dearborn said, “This is something I always wanted to do, from when I was very young. I’ve been fortunate to do it for so many years.” She has cared for people of every age. Earlier in her career, Dearborn worked in the nursery in a pediatric ward, and in hospitals and doctors’ offices, before finding her inspiration to serve seniors 15 years ago. “Taking care of seniors, I’ve found that they love to give back and tell you about their life. It’s very enriching!” she said.
The Mission of Westminster Communities of Florida has been very rewarding to Dearborn in her career as a nurse — because our organization can emphasize quality care first and foremost. “We’re so fortunate here to be able to do a wonderful job caring for the residents. We’ve had great leadership… I’ve seen communities where it’s even hard to get supplies. We’ve never had those kinds of problems,” she said.
Why become a nurse? We asked Denise that and she said, “Nursing is a very rewarding field! You have to have a willingness to want to help people. But there are also a lot of benefits. The pay is good, and we have a lot of single parents who work here. You can help support a family working in nursing. The job can be flexible, you can work nights and weekends. Flexibility is a good thing.”
“At the end of the day, I go home feeling very rewarded that I have helped somebody,” Dearborn said. “That’s a great reason to do something!”
Are you interested in joining the Westminster team? Find out more — go to www.WestminsterCommunitiesFL.org/careers!
