By LINDA CHION KENNEY
Unexpected and much needed is how two nursing students described the life-sized checks they received during their shifts at St. Joseph’s Hospital-South in Riverview.
But even more important, they said, is the profession that speaks to them, and the calling they are more than happy to answer.
“Oh man, nursing is such an amazing and vast field, and it’s very versatile,” said Sherard McKenzie, of Seffner, who as a Nurse Apprentice II received a $2,500 scholarship through the Kosaraju Family Scholarship program and the St. Joseph’s Hospitals Foundation.
Photo Credits: St. Joseph’s Hospital-South, Riverview
Sherard McKenzie, at his workstation in the emergency room at St. Joseph’s Hospital-South in Riverview.
“It’s one of those careers you can get into and not get stuck doing the same thing for 20 to 30 years,” said McKenzie, who noted the options for many work settings, including hospitals, schools, law enforcement agencies, doctors’ offices, private practice and traveling nurse assignments. “What draws me so much to nursing is you can do so much, and you can really find yourself in nursing.”
In agreement is Abiodun Olusesi, of Ruskin, who as a Nurse Apprentice I was awarded a $5,000 scholarship through the Al Greenway Nursing Scholarship program and the St. Joseph’s Hospitals Foundation.
Nurse apprentice Abiodun Olusesi receives his oversized scholarship check.
“Nursing is something that you must have a passion for,” Olusesi said. “Each time I go to work, I’m happier than the previous day. Taking care of patients, I love doing it.”
We’re in a time when the world more than ever is dependent on skilled, caring and compassionate healthcare providers, as the ongoing pandemic leaves in its wake an army of beleaguered and burned-out practitioners. Bright spots such as the St. Joseph’s scholarship celebrations are a reminder of the passion, purpose and humanity that draw so many determined people to the healthcare profession.
Abiodun Olusesi reviews the night’s assignments with nurse apprentice Marizette Carrion at St. Joseph’s Hospital-South in Riverview.
Reports and studies hammer home the need to ensure job openings do not reach a critical stage in local communities.
“When the pandemic first hit, you didn’t know what was going on; people were getting very, very sick, and you didn’t know how to treat it,” said John Sullivan, emergency room assistant nurse manager at St. Joseph’s Hospital-South in Riverview. “There was constant stress on the nurses trying to take care of these patients. Naturally, it would burn a lot of them out.”
As a result, many healthcare providers retired or left the profession for other careers, creating shortfalls throughout the county, a situation Sullivan said is exacerbated by the fact there is a demand for nursing professors as well.
Sullivan gives high marks to nurse apprenticeship programs, which allow nursing students “to do more while still learning, rather than waiting to graduate to apply their skills.”
Sherard McKenzie
A nurse since 2007, Sullivan said he also had a passion to pursue his career. “I enjoyed taking care of patients,” he said,“and understanding medicine and how that relates to the human experience.”
Spending time with McKenzie, Olusesi and Sullivan paints a picture of promise for the healthcare industry and the growing demand for healthcare providers.
Abiodun Olusesi
According to hospital officials, McKenzie has been with BayCare for seven years, including working at St. Joseph’s Hospital-South and in the BayCare mobile nursing pool, through which patient care team members provide coverage and fill in shifts throughout BayCare hospitals. Before taking a permanent position at St. Joseph’s Hospital-South, McKenzie had been working in 10 of BayCare’s 16 hospitals. Married with two children, McKenzie is a nursing student at St. Pete College.
“I have a very extensive medical history,” McKenzie said, noting he had been in cardiac arrest twice. “My own medical history helps me connect with patients more. I have more empathy because I understand what they’re going through. I know what it’s like going through extreme health issues that change your life and that don’t let you do what you want to do. I tell my patients, ‘It won’t be like this always; let’s take steps to change this and do better.’ ”
Nurse apprentice Sherard McKenzie receives his oversized scholarship check.
