National Nurses Week is a time to recognize nurses for the invaluable care they give their communities. Beckley’s Appalachian Regional Hospital is celebrating its nursing staff with food, games, and giveaways, and whatever recognition they can fit between busy shifts.
Chief Operating Officer Joey Preast says their nurses deserve appreciation every day of the year:
“We’re just trying to find a way to, you know, make sure that they know how much we appreciate them, not just this week, but every day they come to work and take care of patients.”
Director of Nursing and Behavioral Health Jeffrey Lilly has been at ARH for 37 years, and he says there’s nothing he would rather do than help people every day:
“I really can’t imagine doing anything else. I’ve done this for 37 years here at ARH, so I’ve never really thought about anything else… It’s very rewarding to see people… that come in at the lowest point in their life, and when they leave, they’ve made significant progress toward recovery.”
RN Madison Hatfield is relatively new to nursing, and despite how hard her work can be, she still loves guiding patients to health:
“It’s very fulfilling, very fulfilling. It makes you feel like you have just done the best job in the world to hear somebody say, “You’ve helped me so much. You’re doing so great… There’s nothing like it.”
This week, remember to thank the nurses in your life for the care they give their communities every day. Preast says that nurses are the backbone of healthcare:
“When patients come to our hospital for any reason, typically the first person you interact with is a nurse. So they’re there when you’re sick, they’re there when you’re better. And even when they go home, you have nurses follow you home as well. So we just want to make sure that people understand that… without nurses, you know, we couldn’t do what we do.”
