For A Job Well Done - Honoring Nurses in Our Community

We are sending special recognition for the accomplishments to all nurses in and from our community. We recognize all the efforts that you all put forth to make a difference in the lives of so many in need of medical attention. Each of you in your own way has helped people get through their most difficult times and have also helped to uplift them emotionally and physically. When you are a nurse, you know that everyday you will touch a life, or a life will touch yours.

Kawennahawi Nelson Fox is an LPN and has been actively working at Iakhihsohtha for 5 years. Her interest to become a nurse began when she wanted to help people and to further her knowledge about the human body and how it worked. "The person who inspired me to go into nursing was my cousin Kwiio's wife Carol Minn Mitchell," said Kawennahawi. Her biggest reward in her nursing career is when she is told "Niawen" by the residents and their families for helping to take care of them, even in the simplest way.

Joanne Campeau has also been an LPN for 5 years and is currently working at Iakhihsohtha. Her decisions to become a nurse came about as a result of losing her job at Bell Canada after being employed as an operator for 21 years. She began to take care of her parents and in-laws after that, and she saw the need for more nursing staff and good care. "My biggest reward in my career of nursing is being able to help someone 'cross over.' When their final time has come, I enjoy being there for them. I enjoy Palliative care in my field of nursing," shared Joanne.

Eileen Montour has been in the field of nursing as an LPN for about 24 years. Currently, she has been at Iakhihsohtha since they first opened. After watching her mom work as a HCA, Eileen took an interest in the health field, first as a HCA followed by an RNA program. Many of her classmates signed up for the course as well. "My mom was my inspiration to be a nurse. She allowed me to go up the hill to the nursing home in St. Regis with her. There I saw the elders and I felt sorry for them and I wanted to help them too. I remember that I wasn't afraid of the elders. I also had great teachers like Jackie Mitchell and Joanne Lazore. My biggest reward was helping people the best I could," said Eileen.

Cynthia Deere has worked as an LPN for 14.5 years and works at Iakhihsohtha. Her reason to become a nurse was to give back to her community. At first, she was involved with home care and after one year, she began to push herself to go further in the field of nursing. "My inspiration to get involved in the healing process was my mentor including the fact that a nursing program was accessible to me at 49 years old. My biggest reward in the nursing career is that I was able to finish something I started," shared Cynthia.

Janice Swamp Sharrow is a RN and the Director of Care at Iakhihsohtha. She has a total of 24 years including one year as an LPN, which led her to continue her education and obtained her RN degree in 1994. "My decision to become a nurse came about as a result of when my mom was very ill and her children put their time in to help care for her until her passing. She had told me I would make a good nurse and that stayed on my mind. I began taking classes not too long after that. My mom is the one who inspired me, she planted the seed. At the first opportunity, I went to begin classes to become a nurse. I'm lucky I had the support of my family. I also want to acknowledge one of my instructors, Jackie Mitchell who encouraged me when I didn't want to continue. She is my mentor. My biggest reward is working with all my Totas and the best health care team of PSWs and CHCAs. I applaud them for all the hard work they do! Also to all the other departments that help to make the Totas safe, comfortable and happy!"

Leanne C King has been a nurse for 26 years at Alice Hyde Medical Center in Malone, NY. Her experiences are 18 years on the medical/surgical, 4 years in ICU, and presently 3 years in Ambulatory Surgery. Her inspiration came about as she was growing up and she remembered the times her dad had been ill and of all the people who took care of him. "My decision to be a nurse was made in 10th grade. I started to hear about the nursing shortage and figured I would always have a job. My biggest reward during my career is receiving a Thank You at the end of the day from either a co-worker, patients or the families for the care provided and the work done together to get the job done," shared Leanne.

Dawn King-Lazore has been an RPN for 3 years. She is presently working at the Akwesasne Medical Clinic. "I decided to become a nurse when family members were having some health concerns, and I started to become curious and wanting to find out why. I also admired the work my sister, Leanne, was doing. She is so smart, kind and caring and I wanted to be a nurse like her. My son Blake was my inspiration. I wanted to show him it takes hard work, education and determination to obtain your goals. Being a nurse to me is rewarding in a lot of different ways. You help, you care, you feel, you listen and you are a voice," said Dawn.

Loretta Smoke is a newcomer to the field of nursing and holds a degree as an RPN. Her present term position is at the Kawehno:ke Medical Clinic and started April 27, 2015. "I have always been one to help others in any way I can, and put others people's needs before my own. Science was a big part of my schooling and is a subject I took an interest in. At one point, I wanted to work in forensic chemistry. In 2007, I took a Pre-Health Science program and when the RPN program came up in 2009, I decided to continue my education in the health field. My inspiration comes from knowing that becoming a nurse allowed me to gain the skills necessary to care for aging family members. Gaining the skills would help me to take better care of my grandmother and other family members and this is my inspiration. We, as Onkwehonwe people have been taught that we take care of our elders. They took care of us as babies and children so when we have grown, it's our turn. This is a cycle that I believe should not be broken. Our elders have so much knowledge to pass on. The biggest reward in my career is to be able to help someone. Sometimes, its to the smallest things you do for someone that are most appreciated. It always made me feel good when people saw us at our clinical placements and they would say how proud they are of us and appreciates what we, as nurses do, is a reward in itself," added Loretta.

Cherie Bisnett - BSN, RN Nurse Case Manager. "I am a nurse at the Let's Get Healthy Program. Growing up, my grandmother was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at a very young age. I can remember her using a walker very young in life and she gradually progressed to a wheel chair and then bedridden. Her daughter, my Aunt Pat was an RN and we would visit them every other weekend and watching my aunt take care of her, inspired me at a very young age. As my grandmother's disease progressed, we frequently visited hospitals and eventually she needed round the clock care and was put into a nursing home where I met many wonderful people in the health care field. All those years, I knew I wanted a career like my aunt's and the rest of the nurses I met along the way. I became an RN in 2001 and decided in 2006 that I wanted to go back to school and obtain my BSN which I accomplished in 2009. I have to say there are many situations I have been involved in that gave me many rewards over the past 14 years. The biggest reward I have received throughout those years have been what I feel, knowing I have been a part in helping patients, their family and friends get through some of the toughest experiences in their lives. To help another individual is the best gift I can receive. It's a feeling that I cannot explain and look forward to many more years of nursing. It's not just a paycheck, its what I love," said Cherie.

Brigitte Blazina - BSN, MSC (HQ), RN. Brigitte has been a nurse for over 10 years. She always enjoyed helping others, a career in nursing seemed like a perfect choice for her. "The reason I became a nurse was because I had a nurse in my family and she began to get me to think about it. Her love for nursing inspired me. There are many things I am grateful for and so many rewards that I have experienced as a nurse. I can say that seeing people smile, and knowing that we are trying our best to provide high quality services to the community makes me so happy that I am a nurse in Akwesasne. It is also very rewarding to work with such dedicated and caring nurses."

April Terrance - BSN, RN Community Health Nurse. April Terrance always wanted to help people and make a difference in their lives and that's what nursing is. She graduated last year and has been working for 7 months now. Her daughter has always been her motivation and is the one who inspired her to become a nurse. "My biggest reward has been seeing the progress clients have made and knowing that I helped them get to where they are and make a difference in their lives," said April.

Julie Mason – RN. "I am a Registered Nurse with Akwesasne Diabetes Education Center. I have been in nursing for 24 years. There is a great personal satisfaction in knowing you have made a difference in the health of another person, and I still experience personal satisfaction with my career on a daily basis. I am the first in my family to pursue a nursing career. I was able to provide my mother, who was diagnosed with multiple myeloma and passed away 8 years ago, with wholistic care during her illness. I am very thankful for becoming a nurse," said Julie.

Lesley Bero – RN. Lesley has always enjoyed taking care of people and wanted to continue. Her interest was in the area of Pediatrics. Lesley has been a nurse for 19.5 years. She worked at Tsiionkwanonhso:te for 12 years and for the past 7 years, has been the Program Manager of the Wholistic Health and Wellness Program. "My family had always been in the medical field, my mother was an X-ray tech/optician, my sister in optometry school, her husband is a pharmacist and my aunt is a nurse. The biggest reward is to see and to know that I have helped," shared Lesley.

Aileen Anderson is an RPN and has worked as a nurse for 30 years and really enjoys her career. Her decision to become a nurse was a result of seeing other family members (sisters) in that field. She feels nursing has changed drastically over her years for the better. Her present employment is at Tsiionkwanonhso:te.

"My biggest reward in nursing is having the pleasure to work with the Mohawk residents and other First Nation facilities," said Aileen.

Allyson Gagne holds a RPN degree and has worked for a total of 27 years. She said she was inspired by a high school teacher who was a retired nurse. The kindness and respect she showed are traits she still remembers about that teacher. At the age of 16, Allyson began working at St. Regis Nursing Home during her summers and realized it was such a very rewarding job. "I feel rewarded each time I can get a smile and a thank you from my Totas at Tsiionkwanonhso:te," added Allyson.

Chris Francis has been working at Tsiionkwanonhso:te, presently, and in total has worked for 15 years. She began as a PSW and returned to school to earn her RN degree. As an RN, Chris has been working for MCA for 11 years. Her mom was a nurse and as she watched her mom, she wanted to follow in her footsteps to be a nurse and be able to help people. "My biggest reward is working and taking care of the elderly, they are my favorite people as they share many stories and memories," shared Chris.

Tanya Diabo is a registered nurse in Quebec and currently working towards her Ontario license. She wanted to finish her education to be a positive role model for her children and to be able to provide for them. She chose nursing as a career for the reason that she is very empathetic with and has a drive for helping people. Tanya searched for a career that enabled her to use those traits and nursing was the perfect fit. She became a nurse in 2010 and worked for less than a year as an RN at her local hospital. Next, she wanted to increase her level of education to the bachelor level to open more doors. She took a leave of absence to study full time at McGill University in the integrated nursing program. Tanya is now a new nurse in training at Kanonhkwatsheriio's community health and she looks forward to working with all the people soon. "My inspiration to become a nurse were all the nurses who helped deliver care to myself and my children when we needed it. I felt very safe and supported in my times of need during the hospital stays when I had my children, and if they became sick or hurt, a caring nurse was there to help," said Tanya. "My biggest reward of being a nurse is the gratification of assisting someone to achieve one of their health goals in the life long journey of attaining health and wellness," added Tanya.

Mona Thompson has been an RN since April 1991 and currently works at the Akwesasne Home Care Support Program. She began to work there being a new program in January 1992, and was one of the original employees. "The decision for me to be a nurse came to me at the age of 18 after hearing on the news that stated Ontario was on a brink of a nursing shortage and the future would be worse. I went to St. Lawrence College and filled out an application for the RN program and General Hospital for the RPN program. I got an acceptance letter from the RN program first. My biggest reward, I would have to say since working with Home Care, is reconnecting with people. Everyone has a story and I have so much enjoyed the stories," recalls Mona.

Helen Lazore became an RN because it was her ambition to help people. She was impressed by the nurses that cared for her as a child since she spent a lot of time in the hospital. "Altogether, I have 27 years in the nursing field. My inspirations included my Bubba and my whole family to become a nurse. My biggest reward since I became a nurse is the satisfaction is seeing someone overcome their illness and live a healthier life," added Helen.

"My name is Michelle Sawatis. I am a Registered Practical Nurse, currently working with Home Care Support Program at Kawehno:ke. I have been a working nurse for over 25 years. My inspiration to go into this field would be my aunt Elizabeth Lazore, while she worked in Rochester, NY in the operating room. When I was growing up, I told myself I wanted to be like her to take care of people and wear a uniform. My biggest reward is knowing that the care I give is 110%, and that I did my best as a nurse. I also enjoy the positive feedback from clients that confirms they are getting the care they deserve," said Michelle.

Robin Barnes is an RN and has earned over 20 years of service in her career as a nurse. "I remember my mom and think about the huge impact she had on her children as she cared for us. She is the one who had given me the most influence as well as my sisters. When I was going to school to be a nurse, I will always remember the words of my sister Donna and said to keep going. Times get tough and studies aren't easy so, I always remember her and her words to me. My rewards are the times my co-workers and I share talks, work, and help each other," Robin said.

"My name is Mark S. Terrance and I'm a Registered Nurse. I graduated in 2000 and have worked as a RN for 15 years. I started as an Orderly when the Home for the Aged was in St. Regis. I enjoyed working for the elderly, a RPN Mildred Hill from 6 Nations suggested I try Nursing. After working in the home I thought it was a rewarding experience so I decided to pursue a Nursing degree. Everyday is a rewarding experience, I work for MCA Home Care/Home Support and the opportunities they give to expand my knowledge base allows me to share my skills with the community."