I Am a Nurse

A tale of three nurses

When Gallup surveys Americans as to what they consider the "most-trusted" profession, nurses have been at the top of the list for 14 of the past 15 years. 

Methodist Health System employs more than 1,860 registered nurses. Three of those nurses were asked why they chose nursing as their profession and what continues to motivate them to do their jobs. Each one traveled a unique path and chose a different nursing focus.

All agree on this: It takes compassion, teamwork and skill to live The Meaning of Care.

Chris Harris, BSN, RN

Methodist Hospital Cardiac Unit

In the midst of a medical crisis in a cardiac patient’s hospital room, Chris Harris, BSN, RN, is always drawn toward the patient's children.  

“It’s probably because I wish someone would have done that with me when I was a kid going through stressful times, and no one ever did,” said Chris. “I had to learn the hard way.”

Chris is an important part of the Methodist Health System across the entire city of Omaha that includes care navigators and board-certified cardiologists.  All caregivers are focused on helping patients recover from cardiac events and staying healthy. 

Some of the patients who Chris sees have come through the newly renovated  Methodist Hospital surgical suites.  Chris is acutely aware of what a family faces when a loved one is in the hospital.

At a young age, Chris became his father's caretaker.  His father was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in his early 30s, around the same time Chris was born.

That experience is what inspires him to have an impact on those patients and families who cross his path. 

“There is a point in every man’s life where there is a fork, and I must have chosen the right way,” Chris said. “I was inspired by my dad, my family. When I see families in the hospital, I can easily talk with them and understand. As a nurse, you make a difference in people’s lives. I like that.”

Kyoko McFadden, BSN, RN

Methodist Physicians Clinic Heart Consultants

It’s a job she knows she was meant to do, ever since she was a little girl with a big dream. “It even says it in my third-grade yearbook. I wanted to be a nurse," says Kyoko.

Growing up in Shizuoka City, Japan, Kyoko McFadden, BSN, RN, watched her dad cross the street to the hospital from their apartment window every day. Dad was a surgeon; Mom stayed home with the kids.

Kyoko is a Care Navigator at Methodist Physicians Clinic Heart Consultants at Westroads Office Park.  She is a part of the integrated approach to the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease that the Heart consultants provide. Every day, she checks in on patients to assess their health and help them manage their chronic conditions. She often makes clinical judgments based on what patients say about their symptoms and how they feel,

“When I was little, the reason I wanted to be a nurse was because I wanted to wear the cap and gown – the traditional Japanese nurse white hat and pink uniform,” said Kyoko. She says that her reasons changed when she was chosen to be a student partner for a disabled child at her school.  Seeing the struggles the boy went through on a daily basis furthered her resolve to become a nurse.

“We take care of the physical side, but I’m also here to provide the emotional care my patients need,” said Kyoko, who says building relationships with patients is her favorite part of the job. “I recently had the daughter of one of my patients tell me how her mom would look forward to my call every day. I feel good knowing I make a difference. The Meaning of Care is not just doing my job as a nurse. It’s about treating the whole patient.”

Jocelyn Araujo, BSN, RN/BC

Methodist Hospital Cardiac Unit

Jocelyn Araujo, BSN, RN/BC, has always had an adventurous spirit.  While she always knew she wanted to travel, she didn't always feel nursing was her calling. 

It wasn’t until a night where she felt very lost that the inspiration finally came. “I really prayed about it,” said Jocelyn. “One day I woke up and it was completely clear. I knew in my heart this is what I wanted to do.”

Jocelyn not only works in the cardiac unit at Methodist Hospital, she is also an Acute Care for Elder (ACE) provider. The (ACE) Unit at Methodist Hospital is designed specifically to prevent health and safety complications and promote independence in the older adult. All caregivers in this unit receive geriatric-specific education and are specially trained in the care of the older adult. 

Jocelyn's adventurous spirit has taken her beyond her work at Methodist Hospital to apply her skills on four mission trips, three times to the Dominican Republic and most recently to South Sudan.

“It’s being passionate about everybody,” said Jocelyn, “being empathetic and sympathetic to different cultures and struggles in people’s lives. It makes me appreciate and really be thankful for what we have here and what I have.”

“One of the best things about nursing is that we have the privilege of seeing the full circle of life,” said Jocelyn through tears. “We have the opportunity to witness life being so beautiful at its very beginning and then to make it beautiful in the end for families and the patient. Nursing is just the ultimate privilege.”