Nurses Praised at Memorial Hospital

L-r:Nurses Shelly Meigs, Ann Flack, Laura Hickey, Judy Briand, Joyce Sander, Muriel Forte, Joanne Krolewski.

The past week of May 6-12 was National Nurses Week - a time to recognize and celebrate the critical role nurses play in delivering exceptional care to patients- in hospitals, clinics, extended care centers, rehabilitation centers, physician offices and other healthcare facilities.

Those who live and work in the greater Niagara region and Grand Island are blessed with access to the best care available anywhere thanks to the skill, training and years of experience of the nursing staff at Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center. 

Our 277 registered nurses and 53 licensed practical nurses play an increasingly important role in the delivery of health care in a variety of settings that range from our labor and delivery unit to our medical/surgical, critical care and emergency services … from our behavioral health floors to the Schoellkopf Health Center and everywhere in between. 

One in four of Memorial's registered nurses bring 30 or more years of experience. Nine of those nurses have more than 40 years and one is celebrating 50 years of service this year. Chief Nursing Officer Joanne Krolewski, R.N., B.S.N., calls them our rocks – nurses who have brought care and comfort to generations of Western New York residents and untold thousands of visitors from around the world.

Our nurses are the foundation upon which Memorial Medical Center has built its reputation for excellence in care. Their years of dedication and experience are combined with up-to-date training. In just the past few years our nurses have implemented safer, more efficient procedures for administering medications; upgraded education offerings to patients and their family members, especially patients being discharged from the hospital; and streamlined administrative processes to allow them to spend more time at the bedside, where care is best delivered.

In addition, our nurses provide thousands of hours of health and wellness instruction, including health screenings, throughout the community each year.

Nursing is a wonderful career where every day, from the beginning of life until a patient's final days, a caring professional can truly make a difference.  The nursing staff at Memorial is a special group of caregivers whose dedication and commitment are unmatched.  We are proud of the work they do and we salute their efforts not only during National Nurses Week but every week throughout the year.