You have to love it – Danvers nurses reflect at the start of National Nurses Week

Danvers nurse Lisa Fournier has cared for patients for about 25 years. With Friday marking the first day of National Nurses Week, Fournier and other local nurses are reflecting on why they love what they do, and why others should value it, too.

As a lead nurse of four residential units at Recovery Centers of America in Danvers, Fournier spends her days treating patients who have just finished detoxing from drugs. She helps them learn coping skills and whatever else they need to start a new drug and alcohol-free chapter in their life.

“When patients come in for detox, they don’t always have a lot of hope. In fact, most of the time, they’re hopeless,” Fournier said. “Seeing them go through the process and finding the sparkle in their eye once they find hope, and seeing them go on to further treatment and get their life back, that’s fulfilling.”

Being a nurse always has its challenges. Fournier said not every patient in RCA’s care wants help, and staff shortages when nurses test positive for COVID-19 has made things harder, especially when RCA received an influx of patients from other rehabs that temporarily shut down during the early days of the pandemic.

Fournier said she hopes people keep in mind this week, and every other week, that nurses are doing the best they can.

“We just want to make sure that everybody is safe,” Fournier said. “There are going to be days when someone is sick and things may not happen as quickly as we want, but we will help.”

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“You have to love it – Danvers nurses reflect at the start of National Nurses Week”, salemnews.com, https://www.salemnews.com/news/you-have-to-love-it—danvers-nurses-reflect-at-the-start-of-national/article_08d5abf4-ccbc-11ec-9413-0f8440d32700.html