This story, by John Chapman, was broadcast by WOWT on May. 8, 2024.
This week, all over the U.S., nurses are being recognized for the invaluable contributions they make for those who need care. It's National Nurse's Week.
Dottie Heffernan became a nurse 50 years ago -- something she always wanted to be.
"When I saw people taking care of people I always thought, 'That's what I want to do," Dottie said.
Dottie has been doing it very well, being honored and recognized with a number of awards. She walked into the mental health care side of nursing, and her compassion for others made her a good fit.
"The draw was to work with people and talk to people and try to make a difference," Dottie said.
Dottie has made a difference.
Boys Town Chief Nursing Officer Lori Umberger told 6 News that Dottie helped open up Boys Town Child and Adolescence Psychiatric Unit.
"When she came here, it was very obvious that she had those core nursing qualities we always look for that we need," Umberger said.
Over the years, Dottie has seen a lot of changes in nursing and a lot of challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic took a lot out of nurses and the industry as a whole.
"Trying to take care of patients and get their needs met, and staff working all the extra hours, I think that was a huge stressor on everybody and a lot of people left the field," Dottie said.
But nurses are still making a difference and continue to play a vital role in healthcare. Dottie is helping to break the stigma, letting people know it's okay to ask for help.
"When I started, [the mental health unit] was at the back of the hospital and people didn't go back there," Dottie said. "It was a door you didn't cross. That's the psych ward. I think it's getting better because people are starting to speak out more about it. Wanting people to know that we all have issues. Everybody has issues at different times."
Dottie and every other experienced nurse in the profession play an important role in patient care and the future of nursing.
"We need that mentorship, we need that leadership that the young nurses coming in can see," Umberger said. "Dottie is no nonsense. She gets the job done and that's a good thing. That's a compliment. We need that in the nursing profession."
And they will have that here at Boys Town for a while, because Dottie plans to continue adding to that 50-year careers.
"I enjoy it and I figure as long as I can do it, and I can do my job, I like coming to work," Dottie said.
Dottie is currently the director of the Inpatient Psychiatric Unit at Boys Town.
Watch Dottie's story on WOWT.
