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 MARY GREEN
RN, nursing supervisor, Chartres-
Pontchartrain Behavioral Health Center
At a young age, Mary was inspired by her adoptive mother to become a nurse. Her mother's words, "to whom much is given, much is required," stayed with her. Becoming a nurse was the best way she chose to give back to others.
Mary began her journey to becoming a nurse more than 30 years ago after being widowed at 22 with two young children. She continued to dodge many more obstacles along the way, including family tragedies, financial hardships and personal health problems. Today, her journey continues.
Presently enrolled in a doctoral nursing program at Southern University in Baton Rouge, Mary is pursing a Ph.D. degree as a nurse scientist, in hopes of possibly working at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or the National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH) as a researcher. She also plans to spend some time in academia helping other aspiring nurses.
"People and their continuous need for care motivate me to stay in the profession," says Mary. "It's extremely gratifying for me to be able to help anyone, within the scope of my knowledge and practice."
 JOHN PENLAND
RN, Hyperbaric/Wound
Care Unit, Charity Hospital
MOONEY BRYANT-
PENLAND, RN, ER
nursing supervisor,
Charity Hospital
Both Mooney and John were part of Charity Hospital's activation team, and have signed up for it again. The dynamic duo met in nursing school as they were beginning new phases in their lives and have worked together for more than 10 years, helping to save lives. At Charity Hospital, Mooney is a nursing supervisor in the emergency room, and John works in the hyperbaric/wound care unit currently housed in what once was the Lord & Taylor department store building.
"The most difficult aspect of nursing is also the thing that is so rewarding," says John. "You are there to help people during some of the most difficult situations. You really do get a chance to see humanity at its best."
The Penlands acknowledge that nursing is an extremely challenging profession, both mentally and physically. "But the highlight of any day is when a patient holds your hand or is walking out the door after their treatment and says, 'thank you,'" adds Mooney.
 DAN KIFF
RN, trauma program manager
Charity Hospital
Charity Hospital has been closed for more than a year, and Dan has been part of a team that is working diligently to reopen the hospital this month.
Dan's mother inspired him to become a nurse when he felt that business school wasn't the best path for him. He remains motivated by the many opportunities and specialty areas available in nursing and recently obtained his Master's degree in nursing administration. Dan hopes to move into upper management and pursue a doctorate.
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MARY
I was a post-care, community mental health nurse assigned to the Children's Health Fund (CHF)/Tulane Mobile Unit. While displaced from my own home, living in a hotel and trying to locate separated family members, my role was to provide emotional support and counseling, as well as basic first-aid and nursing care. While I was only paid for eight hours of work per day, the need required longer hours. At the time, emotional and psychological counseling and treatment needs were at their peak, and providers specializing in this area were scarce. So we decided to stay as long as we were needed.
MOONEY
I remember my 71-year-old father and 26-year-old nephew showed up in a boat on the front steps of Charity to rescue me. I told them I wouldn't leave until all the patients were out.
JOHN
After refusing her father's command to evacuate, I continued to witness my wife, carry out her duties with unbelievable courage, attitude and stamina. I can't begin to express how proud I am of her. She's from the mold Florence created when she defined a nurse!
MOONEY
During the aftermath, stories began circulating about the awful conditions at the hospital, including the unbearable heat and lack of bathrooms. But we had water and a little food, and we were safe. Following the storm, John spent the days carrying patients and supplies up and down 12 flights of stairs. He also went on several rescue missions with my father and nephew to save people from attics and other places where they probably would have otherwise died.
DAN
My team and I spent 5 days in the hospital carrying critically ill patients up and down stairs and to the heliports so that they could be transported to hospitals outside the city. We had limited power, food and water-I lived on rice krispie treats for several days. It felt like we were in a third-world country. The army was helping with rescue efforts due to violence and looting on the streets, which was frightening. One morning, we loaded patients in Blackhawks and continued on until midnight. We spent that night on the heliport. All the while, there was no communication, and I was worried about whether my own family was dead or alive.
Helping patients through the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina was definitely the most difficult situation I've encountered as a nurse, but in some ways, the best thing I've experienced. It strengthened my character and gave me insight. |
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