KEARNEY — Teresa Wall, employee health nurse at Kearney Regional Medical Center, keeps a certain quote in her mind when she confronts challenges during the day.
“I have a very privileged position as a nurse,” she said. “I’ve always felt this way, that I have the opportunity to enter a person’s life when some sort of situation is going on. I really try to develop a trusting relationship so I can be their best advocate.”
In addition to advocating for the patient — as well as the institution — Wall sees compassion as a critical component of her position as an employee health nurse.
“Honesty and integrity are also two key words in what I do here at the medical center,” she said. “It is so important to possess integrity. Sometimes it’s really tough to follow the road of doing what is right. Sometimes it can be very challenging to follow through on the saying, ‘It’s never wrong to do what is right.’ In the end, I have to look at myself in the mirror everyday and see if I was able to uphold my own values.”
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Kearney Regional Medical Center employs about 900 staff members. Wall meets all of the new employees employed at Kearney Regional Medical Center.
“I go over a health questionnaire with them,” she said. “Part of my job is to review immunizations. Also, if an employee is injured or ill during the course of their job, I become involved.”
Wall, 67, spent most of her medical career as a surgical nurse. She moved to employee health about a year before the COVID-19 pandemic began.
“I was learning right along with everybody else, too,” she said.
“When we’ve been in these very intense moments,” Wall said, referring to hospitalizations due to the pandemic, “it’s been a struggle for people of all age groups, from the baby boomers to the newborn babes. We had such restrictions during those birthing moments, with significant others being in attendance to excited families wanting to come and meet the new baby.”
Wall also recalled sad moments of families waiting by the ICU, looking through the windows because they couldn’t be in the room with patients.
“They missed those key moments of the life cycle, moments that families lost out on,” she said.
Dr. Jim Mahalek nominated Wall as a Healthcare Hero. In his nomination, he noted, “Teresa has managed the difficult role in employee health with grace and confidence during the COVID pandemic. She has done so with a friendly smile and willingness to always help. KRMC is lucky to have her taking care of our most valuable resource, our people.”
Wall enjoys meeting new employees because she wants each of them to feel welcome.
“I’m hoping that people will get that feeling of teamwork, the same feeling I have,” she said. “I want them to feel that they are working for a great organization and to feel free to call me if they ever have questions.”
After more than two years of dealing with the pandemic, Wall feels a sense of fatigue among her fellow employees — and the community.
“I had a lot of weeks where I’ve worked 50 to 60 hours because I’m doing my regular job at the end of the day,” she said. “Last summer was difficult in that I didn’t get out on the trails. I like to run on the trails after work. I didn’t do it as consistently as even the year before.”
Wall recognizes the value of self care.
“When you’re having a tough day, take a one minute walk outside; remove yourself from the situation,” she said. “Self care is important.”
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