“When COVID started in March, we
were all so immersed in managing guidelines, precautions, and preparations that
there was no time to look for my replacement,” she explained, adding that all
her post-retirement trips and plans were also cancelled, so it was an easy
decision to stay on. Now that her replacement has been found, Donna is looking
forward to retiring on January 30.
“Donna has served the staff and
patients of Jones with compassion and dedication for many years,” said Jones
CEO Eva Benedict. “While we congratulate Donna on her well-deserved retirement,
we will miss her commitment to mentoring emerging clinical leaders and her
passion for ensure our community receives the highest quality of care. She graciously worked months passed her
original retirement date when COVID threatened our community, we will be
forever grateful.”
Looking back over her career, Donna
noted that her interest in nursing evolved gradually and started in high school
when she volunteered as a candy striper at a local hospital. She started as a
nursing assistant at a nearby nursing home, a position she continued after
graduation and throughout college. After graduating with her RN from Alfred
State, Donna worked as a night-shift charge nurse at the Cattaraugus County
nursing home. “I always thought I would have a career in long-term care,” she
said. However, working days became a goal once she got married, so she stopped
by Jones Memorial Hospital to pick up an application. “I wasn’t dressed for an
interview – I was planning on just picking up the application and dropping it
off later – but they wanted to interview me immediately.” She was hired part
time as a day shift nurse, until a full-time position opened on Med-Surg.
During her early career, Donna worked primarily on Med-Surg, but also spent
time in the ER, ICU, and in Stress Testing, eventually moving into leadership
as a Head Nurse on the Med-Surg unit after passing the Civil Service test
required at the time. Donna obtained her
BSN from Daemen College, and Masters in Health Administration (MHA) from
Roberts Wesleyan College.
As the focus of patient care
transitioned to outpatient services, the hospital merged the two inpatient
units on the second floor and eventually closed the third floor to inpatients.
At this point, Donna was offered a different opportunity in the hospital,
overseeing clinical pathway development and patient education, as well as Case
Management. The addition of ICU Manager was added eventually. Then, in 2006,
Donna became the Chief Nursing Officer and Vice President of Patient Care
Services, which included oversight of the Pharmacy, Staff Development, and
Infection Prevention, as well as the inpatient areas and ER. She has held this
position for the past 14 years.
“I was attracted to nursing because
I loved dealing with patients and their families – I know it sounds cliché, but
I wanted to make a difference,” she said, noting that the doctors she worked
with early in her career – Dr. Felsen, Dr. Coch, Dr. Cudahy, Dr. Sale - were a
major influence on the nurse she became. “It was different then because you
really got to know the doctors and had to earn their trust in your assessment
and clinical skills and abilities,” she said. “They came in to round on their
patients in the mornings and then left for their offices, leaving us to manage
the patients.” Her first nurse manager also gave her advice that she continues
to pass on to new nurses. “Nursing is a stressful job so it is important to
have fun,” she said. “We need to laugh.”
Once she is retired, Donna has no
plans to leave the area. Her son, Matthew, and daughter-in-law, Katrina, and
two grandchildren Sawyer, 5, and Hadley, 2, live in the Syracuse area. “I won’t
go any farther from them,” she said.
Please join us in wishing her the
best.
