In recognition of May as National Nurses Month, Horizon House will be introducing you to a few of our Agency’s outstanding nurses who use their extensive skills to help keep our participants healthy, safe and thriving.
Today, we’d like you to meet Susan, a Registered Nurse at Robbins Bower, a crisis residential program that is part of our Behavioral Health Services division in Lehigh County.
Can you describe what a nurse at Robbins Bower is responsible for and what your daily activities include?
“Everything differs on any given day. That’s part of the beauty of the job, right? It’s a little bit of everything. Participants and staff come to me with any medical questions. I make sure medications are available and accurate.
“We’re a short-term location with our participants spending usually up to 10 days with us. When a participant comes in, I do a full health assessment within the first 24 hours. We go over medications and then I facilitate having the participant see a doctor within 48 hours.”
When did you start with Horizon House and how did you learn about the Agency?
“I’ve been a nurse since 1980. I worked at Allentown State Hospital until it closed in 2010. During the closure, a Horizon House staff member reached out saying she had a site looking for a nurse. I was familiar with Horizon House having also previously worked for a similar organization. I jumped at the opportunity to work with this population in this area.
“I’ve been with Horizon House over 15 years now and it’s just been a wonderful place to work. I love the people I work with. I love the participants I work with. This is a special place that supports you in a number of ways with special people here. I love helping others. I don’t take any of that for granted.”
Did you always see yourself working with the vulnerable populations we serve? How did you find your way into this field?
“I always wanted to work with people with psych needs. I was always interested in psych and it’s all I’ve ever done. I’m passionate about it. We do things in the community to raise awareness. We take part in conferences. We are a part of community groups. We do things to keep participants engaged. And it’s rewarding to see all of that. Mental health has always been my passion.
“Sometimes, it can feel like nurses can be hesitant to get into the psych field because there’s nothing concrete about the treatment. It’s not like dealing with a broken bone where there are universal ways to treat it. Everyone we serve in this field is different. There is a much larger gray area in this field with how you treat someone depending on what their needs are. But I would always encourage someone to try it. You truly get to take care of the whole person.”
What does your work mean to you?
“I love being a nurse. I absolutely love it and I can’t ever picture myself doing anything else. I just love helping others. I love our participants and they mean the world to me. They could well be the most underserved population in this area and it means everything to be able to work with them. I just can’t imagine not being a nurse.”