Registered Nurse Describes Her Role as Vocation, Not an Occupation
If you ask Caitlin Schurch, a Recruiter at Cleveland Clinic, she’d tell you her mom “was put on earth to be a nurse” and “would do this work for free.” There’s a lot of truth in her statements, since Ann Schurch used to think all kids took care of their elderly neighbors.
“I just saw my eight brothers and sisters doing it – it was what we were all taught,” says Ann, a Registered Nurse at Cleveland Clinic Fairview Hospital. “We would rake their leaves, shovel their snow, play cards with them, and have tea with them.” When her grandmother moved into the family home after she started to develop dementia, Ann witnessed the loving care her mom provided. “She wasn’t a nurse – she was a nurse mom. It was these early experiences that really got me into loving the geriatric population.”
Ann works in the Med/Surg unit 6NS at Cleveland Clinic Fairview Hospital. She joined what was then Lakewood Hospital in 1996 and remained there until it closed in 2016. It later merged with Cleveland Clinic to become Fairview Hospital, where she played an instrumental role in helping open the 2nd and 6th floor med/surg units.
Always in Their Corner
Caring for patients from ages 18 to 101, Ann admits her heart is with the dementia geriatric population. “I love every patient, every interaction. But that is the sweet spot for me,” she says. Most of the time, elderly patients are admitted due to a history of dementia. “It’s their baseline when they come in, and we just try to help them not go into delirium on top of their dementia.”
Determined to support that goal in the unit, Ann started a “geriatric cart” that’s stocked with sensory and comfort items to keep the patients’ minds busy. “The cart has many supplies – reading glasses, things they can play with such as balls and squeezies, puzzles, word searches, checkers, dice and magnifying glasses. We even have calculators for those with dementia who may have been in the business field.”
Getting to Know Her Patients
When Ann comes on duty, she gets assignments from the night shifts, does the bedside report, and meets the patients. “I put my name in big bubbly letters up on the board with a smiley face and say, ‘I’m watching you!’” to establish a friendly dynamic from the start. After reviewing their vitals and lab work, she proceeds with her morning assessments and begins to tackle her day. “I’m big on getting people out of bed to the chair for meals, making sure their teeth are brushed, and their glasses are on. Then I talk to them. Something might be bugging them. Or they might just be lonely. It’s not too hard to find time to spend a few minutes to interact with them.”
Loss and Love
While Ann praises the collaboration between the many departments that interact with her floor, she is most proud of the experiences, even those filled with emotion, they can provide for their patients. Her standout memory features a 54-year-old man who was engaged and came in with stomach pain that was sadly diagnosed as metastatic cancer.
“We ended up having a wedding in our conference room and spiritual care did the ceremony. The doctor brought the cake and food. The Nurse Practitioner bought rubber wedding rings from the gift shop. Case Management made flowers out of tissue. I brought lights in and decorated the room. We had a beautiful ceremony, and he got married. We turned down being present at the ceremony itself, but when they opened that door, we were throwing confetti and celebrating with them.”
Advice for New Nurses
Ann gets right to the point when talking about new grads coming into the unit. “We don’t eat our young, so they don’t need to be scared! We’re going to teach them everything here. They’re coming in with basic skills. They should feel free to ask things 10 times because it’s a lot of info. I still ask questions.”
Future Hires
It’s no surprise that Cleveland Clinic provides its caregivers with great benefits, opportunities, ongoing education, and more. But the real draw, according to Ann? “They’re not just starting a job. They’re joining a family. We know what is going on with each other. We help each other. There are babies, showers, weddings and other events. We’ll come in early to share pancake breakfasts with the night shift because we never want them to feel left behind.” “This is a perfect opportunity for people to find a job they love and get paid for it,” Ann says.
If you ask Caitlin Schurch, a Recruiter at Cleveland Clinic, she’d tell you her mom “was put on earth to be a nurse” and “would do this work for free.” There’s a lot of truth in her statements, since Ann Schurch used to think all kids took care of their elderly neighbors.
“I just saw my eight brothers and sisters doing it – it was what we were all taught,” says Ann, a Registered Nurse at Cleveland Clinic Fairview Hospital. “We would rake their leaves, shovel their snow, play cards with them, and have tea with them.” When her grandmother moved into the family home after she started to develop dementia, Ann witnessed the loving care her mom provided. “She wasn’t a nurse – she was a nurse mom. It was these early experiences that really got me into loving the geriatric population.”
Ann works in the Med/Surg unit 6NS at Cleveland Clinic Fairview Hospital. She joined what was then Lakewood Hospital in 1996 and remained there until it closed in 2016. It later merged with Cleveland Clinic to become Fairview Hospital, where she played an instrumental role in helping open the 2nd and 6th floor med/surg units.
Always in Their Corner
Caring for patients from ages 18 to 101, Ann admits her heart is with the dementia geriatric population. “I love every patient, every interaction. But that is the sweet spot for me,” she says. Most of the time, elderly patients are admitted due to a history of dementia. “It’s their baseline when they come in, and we just try to help them not go into delirium on top of their dementia.”
Determined to support that goal in the unit, Ann started a “geriatric cart” that’s stocked with sensory and comfort items to keep the patients’ minds busy. “The cart has many supplies – reading glasses, things they can play with such as balls and squeezies, puzzles, word searches, checkers, dice and magnifying glasses. We even have calculators for those with dementia who may have been in the business field.”
Getting to Know Her Patients
When Ann comes on duty, she gets assignments from the night shifts, does the bedside report, and meets the patients. “I put my name in big bubbly letters up on the board with a smiley face and say, ‘I’m watching you!’” to establish a friendly dynamic from the start. After reviewing their vitals and lab work, she proceeds with her morning assessments and begins to tackle her day. “I’m big on getting people out of bed to the chair for meals, making sure their teeth are brushed, and their glasses are on. Then I talk to them. Something might be bugging them. Or they might just be lonely. It’s not too hard to find time to spend a few minutes to interact with them.”
Loss and Love
While Ann praises the collaboration between the many departments that interact with her floor, she is most proud of the experiences, even those filled with emotion, they can provide for their patients. Her standout memory features a 54-year-old man who was engaged and came in with stomach pain that was sadly diagnosed as metastatic cancer.
“We ended up having a wedding in our conference room and spiritual care did the ceremony. The doctor brought the cake and food. The Nurse Practitioner bought rubber wedding rings from the gift shop. Case Management made flowers out of tissue. I brought lights in and decorated the room. We had a beautiful ceremony, and he got married. We turned down being present at the ceremony itself, but when they opened that door, we were throwing confetti and celebrating with them.”
Advice for New Nurses
Ann gets right to the point when talking about new grads coming into the unit. “We don’t eat our young, so they don’t need to be scared! We’re going to teach them everything here. They’re coming in with basic skills. They should feel free to ask things 10 times because it’s a lot of info. I still ask questions.”
Future Hires
It’s no surprise that Cleveland Clinic provides its caregivers with great benefits, opportunities, ongoing education, and more. But the real draw, according to Ann? “They’re not just starting a job. They’re joining a family. We know what is going on with each other. We help each other. There are babies, showers, weddings and other events. We’ll come in early to share pancake breakfasts with the night shift because we never want them to feel left behind.” “This is a perfect opportunity for people to find a job they love and get paid for it,” Ann says.
