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May brings the annual International Nurses Day, a time to spotlight the contributions nurses bring to our society. At the time when shortages are affecting the health care industry, BayCare Health System is taking steps to recruit new nurses. These nurses in training will learn about providing extraordinary care from some of the best in the region.
Joyce Brown, a nurse on the Mother/Baby unit at Winter Haven Women’s Hospital, is one of those nurses. She started her nursing career 42 years ago and looks forward to ending a stellar career this year.
“I can’t remember when I did not want to be a nurse,” Joyce remembered. “I was playing nurse with my parents and brothers as a little girl. When I graduated from high school I didn’t even think about other options just how fast could I get into nursing school.”
Joyce’s personal experience as a mother plays a large role as she relates to patients at Winter Haven Women’s, especially those dealing with a difficult diagnosis for their newborns.
“I have a very special connection with parents who have a child born with disability of any kind because I live that life myself,” she shared. “I have some written materials I share with them and I try to visit and encourage them at this difficult time in their lives as they adjust to their new normal. Being able to see and talk to someone who has been there and understands can be so comforting. I have had several families contact me after years have passed and shared that my interaction with them helped them in a big way.”
She has some advice for the incoming nurses she works with as well.
“My advice would be to really search your heart and know why you want to be a nurse. If it is for the money, then it is not for you. It is challenging and can break your heart some days. You must be in it for the caring and for the patients. Also I would advise new nurses to start their career by working on a basic medical surgical floor for at least a couple of years. This was the norm for me when I started and I think it makes a better nurse.”
Nicci Lambert, Director of Patient Services at WHWH, has known Joyce for many years.
“Joyce is a nurse’s nurse. She is confident, calm in a crisis, knowledgeable, and compassionate. I am grateful that I have been able to work with Joyce for many of her 42 years here,” Nicci said. “She has touched many lives during her tenure at Winter Haven Hospital and Winter Haven Women’s Hospital. This year she will retire and it will be a loss not only to the hospital but also to her team and our patients.”
As she closes this chapter, though, Joyce has no doubt that she landed in the perfect career for her.
“It has always been easy to motivate myself when my job gets difficult by focusing on the patient and realizing that what kind of day they are having depends on me. They are depending on me to help them get better. This is why nursing has been the perfect career for me. I was taught as a child to think of others and to be caring. Focusing on others will always make your own troubles fade to the background to some degree.”
Winter Haven Womens Hospital
BayCare Health System
