Technology advancements and updated practices create challenges for Saint Joseph Berea nursing supervisor Mona Hanna at times, but Mona said she loves being able to learn from her nurses and share tricks and tips she’s learned in her 40-year career.
“I kind of struggle with the computers, but I’m learning,” Mona said. “I’ve learned a lot from the younger nurses. I love to teach them; I tell them to teach me, and I’ll teach them.”
Striving to make patients comfortable and heal those most in need hasn’t changed for Mona. She’s been at Saint Joseph Berea for half of her career, and her call to serve remains the same as it was on day one.
“I want to help people be more comfortable and feel safe,” Mona said. “We have patients who come in and are very sick, and their families aren’t happy they can’t stay with them. I talk to the family to keep them calm, especially now during COVID-19 when they can’t stay with their loved ones.”
Mona became a nurse after helping her ailing grandfather with his health before he passed.
“He was really sick growing up,” Mona said. “When I was helping him, he was so appreciative and called me his little nurse. I thought it was so nice to be able to help somebody. When he passed, I remembered thinking about how good it felt when he’d smile as I helped him.
“I get that from the patients now. It’s not always good, when a patient passes away or they can’t go home when they want to. Nursing is a challenge, but you remember the good times when they smile at you when you do something small for them.”
Outside of work, Mona and her husband enjoyed traveling to dog and horse racetracks in the regional area before COVID-19 changed life.
“When I was two years into my nursing career, my manager took me to Keeneland for the first time, and I loved it,” Mona said. “I told my husband and he said we could give it a try.
“We had some beginner’s luck and enjoyed it, so we began saving for trips. We hit 15 tracks in one vacation through Arkansas to Ohio, and we had the best time.”
Now staying home because of COVID-19, Mona said she and her husband are enjoying their company and connect via FaceTime with family on a regular basis while riding out a tough year.
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Spirit of Health magazine's print edition is distributed quarterly and focuses on topics related to our CHI Saint Joseph Health purpose and values.
