Loyola Medicine Celebrates Nurses Week

CONTACT:

Allison Peters 
allison.peters@luhs.org
708-216-6140

MAYWOOD, IL – Nurses Week begins on Tuesday, May 6, and concludes on Florence Nightingale's birthday, May 12, which also marks International Nurses Day. This week-long celebration is a time to acknowledge and appreciate the hard work, dedication, and compassion of nurses.

“Nurses are the backbone of our hospital,” said Timothy M. Carrigan, PhD, RN, FACHE, NEA-BC, regional chief nursing officer of the Illinois/Indiana region for Trinity Health. “Our nurses often go above and beyond the call of duty for their patients, not only offering exceptional clinical care, but a genuine level of concern and support for patients and their families.”

At Loyola, nursing is more than an occupation; it’s a calling that, for some, is instilled in them since childhood. Loyola University Medical Center’s chief nursing officer and vice president, Teresa Rasmussen, DNP, RN, SCRN, CNML, NE-BC, has a long-standing legacy with Loyola. Rasmussen’s mother was a floor nurse for nearly three decades.

"My mom would come home from work and tell stories about her day, and I wanted to be a Loyola nurse just like her," said Rasmussen. The two women worked on the same floor for years before her mom’s retirement in 2016.

For 12-year-old Giuliana Nagle, her connection to Loyola began as a challenging one. Nagle was transferred to Loyola’s burn center after what her mother describes as a freak accident. She sustained two second-degree burns on her legs after spilling a cup of instant noodles on her lap. Although the weeks of treatments at Loyola's burn unit were tough, Giuliana was inspired by the care she received.

“If it were me, I’m not sure how I would have handled it, but Giuliana is a tough cookie,” said Giuliana’s mother, Angela. “She keeps telling her doctors and nurses that she wants to become a nurse in Loyola’s burn center to help people. Her nurses were so gentle and compassionate, and she wants to be the same way.”

Much like Nagle, Andrea Hinich’s inspiration came from a difficult journey. Nearly 24 years ago, Hinich was transported by air ambulance to Loyola, where she delivered her daughter, Michelle, at only 28 weeks. Michelle spent two months in the NICU, and Andrea spent three weeks in the ICU. She credits Loyola for saving both of their lives and inspiring her to begin nursing school. Coming from a family of public servants, Hinich decided to enlist in the U.S. Army to obtain her degree. Hinich was first hired at Loyola in 2015. Her daughter Michelle’s life has come full circle as she is a NICU nurse helping others receive the care that saved her life.

“I’ve made many sacrifices to obtain my nursing license,” said Hinich. “I hold its value in the highest regard. As a registered nurse, I am challenged to be adaptable to ever-changing environments on different units, working with a variety of patient populations. I live up to the challenge."