JNESO

“The most rewarding moment of my job was recently saving the life of a patient,” said Ruth Miller, a licensed practical nurse for 27 years at Cedar Grove Respiratory & Nursing Center in Monroe, N.J.

Miller, a resident of Franklinville, N.J., was still on the clock when she heard that a lung had become available for transplant for one of their patients. The problem was none of the patient’s family or friends could get him to Temple University Hospital in time for the transplant. That is when Miller and her nursing coworker Milissa Eggert sprang into action.

“It was a life-or-death matter. The hospital wouldn’t hold the lung. We were the only ones who could get him to the hospital on time,” explained Miller who drove the patient in her own truck, accompanied by Eggert. They made it, and the transplant was a success. “It made me feel so good inside that we were able to help him.”

Nursing wasn’t the first choice as a career for Miller. “At first, I wanted to be respiratory therapist, but when I found out it that it just the lungs, I switched to nursing because it encompasses every system of the body. I found my niche.”

One of the things she finds most rewarding about nursing is the developing strong relationships with her patients. She noted a patient with a gunshot wound who spent years at the facility. “In the beginning his family was there, but as time passed very few people came to see him. So, we became his family.”  Miller’s own family became the patient’s surrogate family too, visiting, providing food and gifts for over 15 years. “My favorite part about nursing is when I can give a little extra to make the patient’s life better,” she added.

 This idea of family support is one of the reasons why Miller is a member of JNESO.

“You always feel like somebody has your back, and if anything happens to you someone will be there to protect you. And the union holds employers accountable for their actions.”

 According to Miller, Care, Comfort, and Compassion are the core qualities that nurses need to be successful, but there is one more critical piece to the puzzle. “Nursing is something you have to love and have a passion for.” She concluded, “I love what I do. I will probably keep working until the day I die.”