Nicole Dugan: Compassionate care, a long journey to help others
While waiting to be accepted into Kent State University’s nursing program, Dugan was determined to find employment in the health care field and enrolled in State Tested Nurse’s Aid training through Buckeye Career Center in order to increase her chances of employment. As a STNA, she was able to secure a full-time job at a local nursing home. While there, she continued her college courses, and worked towards her goals, gradually becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), finishing her Associate’s of Applied Science degree and then becoming a Registered Nurse (RN).
While education and goal attainment are not an unusual story, Dugan’s path provided challenges. While receiving her education, she worked full time, married and became a mother of two. Although the path was long and hard, Nicole’s journey was successful and she is now a Rehabilitation Unit anager for Hennis Care Centre, where she has been employed throughout her journey. She is held in high esteem by those who report to her, who refer to her as “caring and compassionate,” and it’s not uncommon for her to work in her off-hours, fielding phone calls and caring for her staff members as deeply as she does her patients.
Dugan’s job in the Rehabilitation Unit brings her in contact with patients of all ages, even though most people think of nursing homes as a place for the elderly. Surprisingly to most, the unit is sometimes home to young patients with injuries from accidents. After physical, occupational and speech therapies are completed, the patients transition back to their home environment, sometimes returning on an outpatient basis for further therapy. Watching a patient recover and go home with her assistance brings Dugan joy. She finds encouragement and reward in being part of the process that allows patients to recover from their injuries and ailments, gain strength and return to their homes. “You feel like you made a difference,” she said, smiling, “and that you’re there for more than comfort.”
Dugan’s staff also assists those who have been through surgeries that require rehabilitation services afterward, such as hip and knee replacements. Some patients also require help after being hooked up to a ventilator or tube feeding and some common mobility skills taught are how to transfer from a bed to a wheelchair or perhaps to a bathtub, enhancing daily life skills required before returning home. They assist their patients in performing range-of-motion exercises prescribed by the therapists and provide help with braces and splints. As diverse as the needs, they can provide the help and teamwork needed to meet them.
Although she’s reached her goals, she’s constantly aware and interested in the advances in medicine and health care she is has observed while assisting her mother, who is now battling cancer. Her compassionate nature extends from her job to her family and all who come into contact with her. Dugan is not only a nurse in title, but in heart.