Mid-Valley Nurses - May 2022

Celebrating 10 Outstanding Nurses

Mid-Valley

Presented by:

&

2

| MAY 2022

MID-VALLEY NURSES: THE HEART OF HEALTH CARE

CALHOUN COMBINES LOVE FOR

HOSPICE & CANINES T

retriever, JJ, began working together at a confidential shelter. The joy the visiting dog brought, Calhoun thought, would do racy Calhoun is a hospice nurse. wonders in hospice settings.

She didn’t know her calling “I was a strong advocate and I just kept going into health care and didn’t at it,” she said. “It was not something consider health care to be her accepted in the mid-‘90s.” calling, but hospice is where she fits.

She and her husband, who happens to be “I’ve always been comfortable with death a dog trainer, relocated to Albany in 2007 and dying, even as a young nurse,” she said. when Calhoun was hired by Samaritan “When I transferred to hospice it just felt Health Services. She brought JJ to work comfortable. Even more so now with life with her to visit hospice patients even prior to the building of Samaritan Evergreen experiences.”

Hospice in Albany.

Calhoun said JJ was a she just picked therapy dog nursing out of volunteer at a catalog while S a m a r i t a n in high school.

E v e r g r e e n It was blind Hospice starting luck. She is a at its opening in residential nurse 2012, and spent case manager at 12-hour days Lumina Hospice visiting patients and Palliative and napping Care. until her passing “It’s a great in 2017. profession to be “People may not remember me,” in,” Calhoun said. “For nurses, there are so Calhoun said, “but they remember the many different options. If you don’t like golden retriever.

It built a community bond one thing, try another.” around here.”

Calhoun is known throughout the midFor the last two and a half years, Calhoun valley for her experience and knowledge. has been working at Lumina Hospice. Prior She has a reputation for excellent and compassionate end-of-life care. But she to COVID, she took her dog, Ember, to work will, eventually, leave behind a legacy for with her. her efforts and success to bring therapy “People who aren’t in hospice think it’s dogs into hospice care. intense and depressing 24/7, but it’s not It all began in the mid-‘90s in at all,” Calhoun said. “The dog can shake Washington, when Calhoun and her golden it off and go find a toy. We need to be more like that.”

CONTRIBUTOR: Maria Kirkpatrick

“We take puppies to private homes, and watch the magic and joy.”

PHOTO CREDIT: Kelly Lyons

In hospice, the biggest things that nurses breath,” Calhoun said. do is teach and prepare loved ones for Puppies are an outlet for her. Raising what is coming next as someone’s disease litters of puppies is her way of working both progresses. ends of the life cycle. She also is active in Teaching and educating helps remove a Pile of Puppies. lot of the fear, Calhoun said. And through “It’s kind of like Make-A-Wish,” she said. the dogs, people are able to talk about and “We take puppies to private homes, and prepare for what is next. watch the magic and joy. It’s a nice way to “It is an honor to be witness and present unwind. I’m 56 and have not even thought with someone as they take their last about retirement.”

MID-VALLEY NURSES: THE HEART OF HEALTH CARE

MAY 2022 |

3

Retirement Allows Fell-Carlson To Get More Done stopped working. She is the board chair and president of Faith Community Health Network of the Mid-Willamette Valley. A Faith Community Nurse is not just a registered nurse who happens to be part of a faith community (church or place of worship).

These are nurses who have trained to bridge the health care system and the faith community.

CONTRIBUTOR: Maria Kirkpatrick

Fell-Carlson took the coordinator course and through the Foundations of Faith Community Nursing offers courses for other nurses. LinnBenton Community College’s extended learning program has picked up the partnership and now provides courses.

Retired Army National Guard nurse Deb FellCarlson may actually be busier now than she was when she worked in the Guard.

“If we can find the nurses already in the faith communities and train them in this recognized faith community nursing practice specialty, we can pick up the ball where our health system drops it and bring health care access into the community, where we need it so badly,” FellCarlson said.

F

Faith nursing embraces all religions. It’s called “Faith Community” because it’s not limited to one faith. It used to be called parish nursing because many Catholic churches had nurses in their congregations.

ell-Carson has been a nurse since 1979, and is living proof that nursing is a calling that never leaves the person who answers.

Fell-Carlson said she has a “pretty robust” team in various stages of implementing a nursing practice inside their faith communities.

She grew up in Des Moines, Iowa, and moved to the Black Hills of South Dakota after high school graduation. There, she worked as a dump truck driver for the National Guard. They paid for her schooling to become a nurse.

She became a flight medic for a time, and then worked in a 20bed hospital in Spearfish, South Dakota. While in the military, Fell-Carlson learned a lot of safety practices, as well as something about occupational health.

Fell-Carlson said she became very competent in Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations and basic knowledge on what to do to be safe. “We had

PHOTO CREDIT: Kelly Lyons

to learn a little bit about every single thing,” Fell-Carson said of the experience.

She did various other jobs, including travel nursing, and eventually moved to Lebanon with her husband to accept a position in employee health care for Samaritan Health Services.

Fell-Carlson worked closely with the Oregon State Accident

Insurance Fund Corporation, and eventually was asked to apply as a safety management consultant. She applied and got the job, eventually moving up to a supervisory position.

“While I was in this position, one of our consultants came to me and said, ‘My (clients) want training on wellness,’” she said.

“I thought, How did I miss this?”

A worker who is healthy is less likely to be injured and more likely to be physically fit. And if they do get hurt, they will recover quickly.

Fell-Carlson helped launch a total worker health program integrating health improvement access with safety, and stayed in this position for 15 years.

Although Fell-Carlson retired from SAIF in 2017, she hasn’t

Faith nurses often bridge the gap between hospital and home, Fell-Carlson said. They make sure a patient being released from the hospital has a place to go and assistance that might be necessary. They also may offer blood pressure screening, health classes and vaccine clinics. Every congregation is different and has different needs. FellCarlson said she wants to make sure faith nurses are prepared to provide for their area.

4

| MAY 2022

MID-VALLEY NURSES: THE HEART OF HEALTH CARE

Resource Olmsted a

for other nurses

CONTRIBUTOR: Maria Kirkpatrick

Olmsted began her career in patient oncology, moved to outpatient infusion, and then became a hospice nurse. She finds the flexibility, growth and ability to balance work and her personal life to be most valuable.

She and her husband have two boys and live in Corvallis. Her youngest was born with a brain tumor, and she also is his caregiver. She said this gives her the ability to understand how to navigate the medical system not only as a nurse, but also as the mother of a child who has a disability and a lot of medical needs.

Olmsted is a resource nurse. She works after hours, on call and when her coworkers are sick.

She gives support to case managers, and likes the unpredictability of the day.

“They have such a challenging job,” she said.

“These nurses are really committed. They take the lead on the team making progress toward goals. I have such respect for what they do. I’m really driven to support them because they are so committed, and I think the work that they do is so amazing. It’s a big part of the hospice nurse that I am.”

PHOTO CREDIT: Kelly Lyons

C

adie Olmsted has been a registered nurse since 2005 and a hospice nurse since 2010. She said from early on she had an interest in the human body and the medical field.

There’s no one experience in Olmsted’s career that she credits for giving her inspiration in her career. It’s more the feeling of empowering other people in an often disempowering medical system that keeps her coming back. She likes the ability to advocate for people’s autonomy and choices, and she has found the space to do that within hospice nursing.

“It’s great being able to walk into a really challenging situation, like where a family member is dying, and being able to help them turn it around where they feel like they have some control and choices, and help them meet their goal,” Omsted said. “I like problem-solving.”

She started with a focus on preRegularly running and spending time with med and then applied to nursing school, as she family helps Olmsted decompress from work. found she wanted to work more with people and “Being a nurse becomes who you are,” she spend more time with people. said. “It becomes such a part of your life. I can’t “I knew I wanted to spend more time at peo- imagine doing anything different. It feels reple’s side than a doctor,” she said. “It’s been an ally humbling to be honored. There are so many amazing career. I like the variation; there’s never people out there who work hard in health care; a dull moment as a nurse.”

I feel honored.”

MID-VALLEY NURSES: THE HEART OF HEALTH CARE

MAY 2022 |

5

Luco helps staff members so they can help patients

PHOTO CREDIT: Kelly Lyons

Tess Luco refocused her nursing career to caring for the staff who care for patients at Samaritan Health Services.

L

CONTRIBUTOR: Maria Kirkpatrick

uco has been a nurse since 2006. She said it wasn’t any one thing that led her down the career path. She was the oldest child and has always been into sciences. She graduated from Philomath High School, where she studied health occupations. She thought she would become a criminal pathologist.

While studying medicine at the University of Portland, she roomed with someone in

the nursing program, and her roommate suggested she give it a try. Luco discovered she was more fitted to care for the person instead of studying the disease. She transferred her love and passion to nursing and obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing, eventually getting a Master of Science in nursing.

“It grew organically over time,” she said.

Luco began nursing at Providence Health & Services in Portland, and moved through various care situations until landing in home health care. While caring for patients in their homes, she moved into a leadership role, supervising teams of home health clinicians.

She has been with Samaritan for the past within a medical setting, and Luco wants to seven years in an educator role, aiding in the help others see the plethora of opportunities professional development of other nurses. in nursing.

“We are nurse educators, nursing professional development practitioners,” she said of her department. “Our role is to support staff, nursing staff primarily but also other clinical staff, for their professional development and growth.”

Luco is credited by those around her for leading initiatives in response to COVID. She said she only did what had to be done and focused on educating others. Some of those initiatives included the idea of reusing masks and gowns when replacements became scarce. She and her team worked with the Samaritan Coronavirus Task Force to keep their education one step ahead in order to anticipate what might be coming.

There’s a massive shortage in nursing right now, Luco said. It has been anticipated for at least 20 years. However, with the pandemic, those close to retirement accelerated the rate of nurses leaving the Luco said nursing doesn’t have to be profession. New nurses also are leaving as stressful as it seems. Samaritan has an their positions; speculation is that that also initiative to support employees to find a wellness and work/life balance, which “I love the education part of being a is a result of the pandemic. leader,” she said. “So I started looking for There are a lot of stressors in the medical she uses; she encourages others to do so nursing education positions.” field, and Luco is positioned to provide as well.

Giving back to her community as a nurse A position at Samaritan Health Services support to those new in the profession, as well as those who have been around for a is what drives her. Coming home to family brought her back to Corvallis with her time. There are many places nurses can be and good friends grounds her. husband and two boys.

6

| MAY 2022

MID-VALLEY NURSES: THE HEART OF HEALTH CARE

Houck cares for self so she can care for others

H

CONTRIBUTOR: Maria Kirkpatrick

ospice nurse Rachel Houck works every other weekend, but when she’s on at Lumina Hospice & Palliative Care, she takes care to ensure things run smoothly.

Houck has the ability to jump into any situation, help patients, support and soothe caregivers, and coordinate care that allows the weekday team to seamlessly step back in. It’s all in a day’s work for her, but she takes care to make sure she doesn’t get overloaded.

“I wanted to be a nurse since I was 12,” she said. “I had several family members who were nurses. I think I like the idea of helping people in that way. Certainly, there are many ways to help people, but end-oflife care always appealed to me.”

Houck went from high school to college to study nursing, and took a year off along the way only to work as a certified nursing assistant. She said it helped her get more comfortable with what she was doing. She quickly jumped back in to finish her education to become a registered nurse. After graduation, she spent time caring for her grandfather, who was on hospice care.

PHOTO CREDIT: Kelly Lyons

control, she feels successful. Working on the weekend, there are fewer staff members around, but Houck doesn’t feel she is on her own. She said she has many people at work Her first employer was Benco in Cor- she can talk to, and feels very comfortable vallis, where she was on the nursing staff discussing issues and situations with them. of one of the adult homes. She moved to “This is a very rewarding job,” she said.

Lumina in 2018.

“It certainly has its ups and downs, but there are many “I’ve been times on the job there ever that surprise since,” she said. you with beauty “It is very re-- either in how warding. People family support allow you to each other, or come into their just to be able to home at such a be a support for vulnerable time, others.” and I feel there is a lot I can do and She said she it’s such an honor to be invited.” has to be careful to care for herself and give Looking back, her brother may have been herself time to recover. her first patient. She recalls his getting sick “I like to do things with my hands to keep when they were young, and helping to clean busy,” Houck said. “Things like knitting; up and care for him. it allows me to think and gives me time to “It wasn’t particularly fun,” Houck said. process my thoughts.”

“But I thought, ‘Helping this way is the Recently she’s gotten into woodworking, kind of thing I like.’” and is making decorative and functional She enjoys the problem-solving aspect of things for around her house in Philomath. nursing. When she can work with a doctor “I see this as where I will be for the next to get a patient’s symptoms or illness under 30 years,” she said.

“Helping this way is the kind of thing I like.”

MID-VALLEY NURSES: THE HEART OF HEALTH CARE

MAY 2022 |

of Albany 420 Geri Street NW · Albany, OR 97321 · (541) 497-5600

R etirementPerfected.com © 2022 All rights reserved, Bonaventure Senior Living.

7

8

| MAY 2022

MID-VALLEY NURSES: THE HEART OF HEALTH CARE

Di Cosmo knows a little can mean a lot She took a nearly eight-year break to Di Cosmo knows she makes a difference raise her two children and then studied every day. “The littlest things you do can to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in make the biggest impact on somebody’s nursing. With this degree, she opened a life.” residential care home.

Because she has worked different places, With her knowledge of medical care, she tries to take the best practices and nutrition and exercise, she was able to knowledge and give input wherever she treat residents holistically and managed goes. “I like the fact that I can offer other to reduce the number of medications they suggestions that maybe people haven’t needed. Di Cosmo ran the home for nearly tried,” she said. five years and made a hard decision to close Her greatest achievement is the health it in 2019, when it became clear that she care model she established in her care needed to put family members first. home. She wishes more care providers But her nursing career never stopped. would consider implementing it. “It’s She returned to nursing part time, always nothing more than fresh air, good food, learning and teaching. exercising, socializing,” she said. “All Nursing is very versatile, and that the basics.” is part of the draw for Di Cosmo. “It’s everything,” she said. “I know there’s a lot of talk of burnout but, because I’ve never stayed full time, I have the ability to go into work and see where I can help out. That’s the culture I grew up with, that’s the way that I was brought up.

Where can I help others out?

“It’s the Filipino culture,” she said. “If I can’t provide you food, where else versatile is important to her in order can I help you?”

CONTRIBUTOR: Maria Kirkpatrick to achieve a work/life balance and Ligaya Di Cosmo knows the smallest avoiding burnout. things can make the biggest impact.

She said she is what they term a “ladder Di Cosmo works part-time at Corvallis nurse.” She worked her way up in nursing Manor Nursing and Rehabilitation rung by rung.

Center. However, she has staffed many In high school she didn’t know what other health care facilities in the midshe wanted to do. Her aunt was a nurse, valley, and worked as a travel nurse, and Di Cosmo’s mom suggested she try most recently in Guam, managing a nursing. She did, and over the summer mobile team of nurses administering became a certified nursing assistant. Two vaccinations and first aid. years later she became a licensed practical Nursing is much more than a job to nurse. It took Di Cosmo several years to Di Cosmo. It is a way for her to make a become a registered nurse, as she worked difference and to help others. She likes part time, earning her degrees in between knowing she can make someone’s life raising a family. just a little bit better every day. Being PHOTO CREDIT: Kelly Lyons

MID-VALLEY NURSES: THE HEART OF HEALTH CARE

MAY 2022 |

9

Labor and delivery is

WHERE MURRY PREFERS TO BE life into the world and easing the fears of moms in a hospital setting, educating with ammy Murry has been taking breastfeeding … It all really plays a big part care of women and their babies in that baby’s future.” since 2007.

Murry now trains new employees.

Her whole family dabbles in Taking new nurses under her wing, she either the nursing or veterinary is encouraging them to ask questions and fields, so it was natural that learn. This is another way she feels she is she would follow to help others in the helping people. “It can be the happiest area, but then it can be the most sad and medical field. tragic area,” she said. “But 95% of the “I knew I wanted to do it, went to time it’s wonderful, and the teamwork school for it and have been super happy here is amazing.” ever since,” she said.

She said Samaritan has been an Murry has lived outstanding place in Sweet Home to work; the health since high school. care system even Out of high school helped pay for she worked in real her continuing estate, helping nursing education. low-income buyers She doesn’t plan to purchase houses. move on. She likes Eventually, she went that she makes back to school. “I a difference and just knew I would becomes a part of find a path helping others,” Murry said. people’s lives in the delivery room.

She started in dental hygiene but her Murry doesn’t take work home with professor suggested she look into nursing. her. On the drive home, she thinks of one She said the idea scared her. “I had a fear of thing she could have done better in any making a mistake,” she said. “He said that situation, and then lets it go. She finishes actually helps somebody be a better nurse. her thoughts with something she did really Having that second thought and asking well. “And then I let it all go and move on questions to verify that you’re doing the to listening to music and going home to my right thing is good. I switched to nursing family,” she said. and it’s amazing.”

Murry and her husband have three Murry began her career in acute care at children, all in sports and “doing amazing Samaritan Health Services and then spent at school,” so she has much to focus on four years in a pre-operations surgical outside of work. setting. She enjoyed getting patients On the side, she keeps bees. “I knew I ready for surgery so they were prepared, and then making sure they knew what to wanted to help the bees,” she said. “I heard do once they were sent home. However, the population was decreasing rapidly and she knew what she really wanted was to be I organic-garden and thought, ‘I don’t see in labor and delivery. In 2012 she made the enough honeybees around here.’” She started with one hive and now has six of transition, and still loves what she does. them. She also has chickens and so sells She said working in women’s health is honey and free-range chicken eggs to the happiest area to be in. “Bringing new coworkers.

CONTRIBUTOR: Maria Kirkpatrick

T

“I just knew I would find a path helping others ...”

PHOTO CREDIT: Kelly Lyons

10

| MAY 2022

MID-VALLEY NURSES: THE HEART OF HEALTH CARE

Winterton aims to educate

THE FUTURE CONTRIBUTOR: Maria Kirkpatrick

H

ospice nursing is a special form of nursing, and for Shannon Winterton, director of nursing for Lumina Hospice and Palliative Care, she would never do anything else.

Nursing wasn’t a prominent plan at the start of her adult life. Winterton was a young mother and her first child was born prematurely, and spent nine weeks at Oregon Health & Science University Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in Portland. “It was a challenging time for my husband and I, and we reassessed our situation,” Winterton said. “Both of us were working at a grocery store, and we decided one of us should go to college.”

a pediatric nurse. Each is a special calling.

“It’s a perfect fit for me,” she said of geriatric care. “I would never do anything else.”

Her role as a director is new to her. She came to Lumina as a nurse case manager working in the field. Now, she said, she is nearing the end of her career and wants to do something lasting. She sees the best way to do as helping train a new generation of hospice nurses.

“It’s more than a paycheck ...”

She said she wanted to do something to give back, the way the staff at Doernbecher had done for her family. She had been a nursing assistant in a nursing home as a teenager and loved it, so she decided to go back to school.

Initially, Winterton thought she wanted to be an OB/GYN. She discovered her heart was geared toward geriatrics. A real fondness of her grandparents developed into a love of geriatrics, she said. She has been a nurse since 1988 and has worked in hospice for the last eight years.

Her career has spanned everything from acute care to long-term care to working in a doctor’s office. While she has liked everything she’s done, she said she hadn’t found something that felt like it was what she was meant to do until she began to focus on geriatrics.

Geriatric care isn’t for everyone, but Winterton now knows she could never be

“I really wanted there to be a way to share what I’ve learned in hospice,” she said. “Now I get to do that.”

Winterton and her husband have three children and four grandchildren. It was while she raised her children that she studied to become a nurse. “Nursing school is not for sissies,” she said. “It’s a really rigorous curriculum, very stressful. Especially when you’re a mom with children. I’ll never forget how difficult it was to get through that.”

And the education is ongoing. Nurses have to keep up with technology and research. “It’s more than a paycheck,” Winterton said. “You really have to be dedicated. People see nursing as a good income opportunity. It really is more than that. It’s a lifestyle and you have to be willing to make a lot of sacrifices. It occupies every aspect of your life for the rest of your life.”

You have be to be committed, Winterton said. You also need to remember to take care of yourself. You have to make time for yourself and your family. “That’s why some succeed and some do not,” she said.

Winterton said her husband is very supportive, and her faith is a source of health. She surrounds herself with the support of family and friends, and takes care of herself.

PHOTO CREDIT: Kelly Lyons

Be the nurse you want to be.

As an independent, community-based nonprofit, we are able to go above and beyond to provide compassionate care to patients and families when they need it most. Lumina nurses play a critical role in leading this patient-centered care.

Be part of our award-winning team. luminahospice.org/jobs

MID-VALLEY NURSES: THE HEART OF HEALTH CARE MID-VALLEY NURSES: THE HEART OF HEALTH CARE

MAY 2022 | MAY 2022 |

READY TO TRANSFORM YOUR YARD?

Summer Summer is is coming, coming, and and there’s there’s no no better better

place place to to be be than than in in your your own own outdoor outdoor oasis oasis

Download Download our our Paver Paver Project Project Planning Planning Guide.

Guide.

In In it it we we break break down down each each step step so so you you know know exactly exactly what what to to do do to to achieve achieve professional professional results. results.

The The Concrete Concrete Advantage.

Advantage.

find find more more at at

westerninterlock.com westerninterlock.com

11 11

12 12

|| MAY MAY 2022 2022

MID-VALLEY MID-VALLEY NURSES: NURSES: THE THE HEART HEART OF OF HEALTH HEALTH CARE CARE