As 2020 has been declared Year of the Nurse by the World Health Organization, we would like to take this time to focus on our great nursing staff. They are arguably the most important people in the organization, whether they think so or not. We appreciate the sacrifices they make to take care of us and our loved ones. From working nights and holidays, to being on call and making home visits- they do it all with integrity and courage. They are selfless, caring, innovative, fierce, and much more than we have time to describe. So, nurses, thank you. You do what others cannot, we appreciate you.

With that, BBGH would like to share with you, our community, a little bit more about our nurses; who they are and why they do what they do.

Meet Mandy Yearling. Mandy was born and raised in Alliance and has always known she wanted to do something in healthcare. She started her college career pursuing Physical Therapy, but decided it wasn’t for her. “It wasn’t until a few more wrong turns I finally got to nursing school,” she said, and added, “I have worked as a clinical nurse all of my career, and have almost always worked for an OB provider. The enjoyment of watching women become mommies and babies become adults has been the greatest gift ever! I love the relationships you develop with patients in the clinical setting, which is why I’ve never desired to go back to school.”  

It’s obvious Mandy enjoys her work and her patients. When she’s not caring for others however, she enjoys spending time with her friends and family, and doing craft projects.

Florence Nightingale, popularly known as the ‘founder of modern nursing’ mentioned in her personal diary in the 1870s, “It will be 150 years to see the kind of nursing I envision.” We hope to continue her vision, 150 years later and 150 years from now. Mandy said, “I feel the continuing advances in technology will not only help nurses do their jobs more efficiently and effectively, but it will benefit in long-term patient care. Over the decades, nurses have evolved into highly specialized, well-respected members of the medical and healthcare teams. Many would even say that they are the true backbone of the healthcare industry. This alone makes me proud to say I am a nurse.”

As 2020 continues, keep your nurses in mind. They have families, hobbies, and feelings just like the rest of us. The main difference is they are courageous enough to do what we cannot, or choose not, to do.