60 years of the night shift and still loving it

Louisville’s Courier-Journal relays an inspiring story of a nurse who has seen it all – and she’s been seeing it all for a very long time.  Dorothy Turner, a night shift nurse at North Audubon Hospital has been at her post for 60 years and counting.  At age 82, she is not only a comforting presence to patients, a beloved colleague to fellow nurses, she is also a mother of five daughters and a true inspiration.  Four of her daughters have become nurses, and five of her granddaughters are entering the field.
Dorothy still maintains a workload of four shifts a week.   Her colleagues comment that she just seems to love nursing.  Dorothy makes an active effort to stay young – including getting multiple piercings in her ears.  Her newest challenge is to become a computer expert.   Are these two things –  having a young heart and seeking new challenges key to avoiding burnout and preserving one’s sense of empathy and compassion?   All nurses have their own methods of relieving stress and avoiding burnout.  Nurse Jeannie Keenan reveals her tips at medmagazine.com.