GBMC Nurses Prioritize Their Patients

GBMC HealthCare’s vision is to every patient, every time, we will provide the care we would want for our own loved ones. This is something our nurses embody on a daily basis.

A personal experience inspired Christina Nyaluke, RN, to pursue a career in nursing. She was moved by the way nurses expertly cared for her newborn daughter, who was in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for six weeks.

“Sometimes I ask myself what I would do if I wasn’t a nurse, but I can’t imagine it. I just love my job. I love taking care of patients,” Nyaluke said. Many of GBMC’s nurses have stayed with the organization through very challenging times, like the COVID-19 pandemic and a cyberattack, for this same reason. GBMC nurses are special in that they know it is their calling to be a comfort to patients.

Pre-COVID, Nyaluke and her colleagues would each manage about five patients per shift on GBMC’s Progressive Care Unit, caring mainly for stroke patients, but also patients with gastrointestinal issues and other medical needs. Over the past three years, nurses across the system have experienced an increased workload paired with a decrease in actively employed nurses, resulting in each nurse being responsible for six, or sometimes seven, patients per shift. While this may seem like a small increase, GBMC nurses spend valuable time with each patient, caring not only for the physical health, but their mental and emotional needs as well.

No matter how short staffed or tired they are, GBMC’s nurses make it a priority to build relationships with patients and their families. They power through difficult days and put their patients' needs above all else.

Nyaluke shared how wonderful it feels when she and her team are recognized for this hard work and dedication. The GBMC nursing team can see the impact in their day-to-day work when they feel supported by the community.

You can support our nurses by making a donation to GBMC Nursing today. Donations of all sizes allow us to attract and retain top talent. More importantly, they make our hardworking nurses feel appreciated for their dedication to GBMC’s patients and our community. Visit gbmc.org/supportnursing to make your donation today!