PASSION IN NURSING
SPREADING ENCOURAGING WORDS: OKC INDIAN CLINIC
by Vickie Jenkins – Writer/Photographer
Here at the Oklahoma City Indian Clinic, you will find excellent nurses. One individual nurse, James Foreman, LPN, is well known by co-workers and patients due to his friendly, outgoing personality and his love and respect for others.
Growing up in Ardmore, OK, James attended Southern Oklahoma Technology Center and has been a nurse for eight years. Fresh out of school, he got a job at a private practice in Chickasaw, OK, where he got plenty of skills and training.
Asking James why he chose to work at The Oklahoma City Indian Clinic, he replied, “I am Chickasaw and I want to give back to the native population. It’s different from private practice; here, the patient is in need of care and they don’t have insurance. I think I am a great fit here. I love working with people. This is a target population and I have seen it grow so much in the last five years. I see the progress of moving forward and not backwards.”
James never thought about working in the medical field. “At the time, my wife, Amy, was a nurse at Integris. I was working at Circuit City until they went out of business. Amy influenced me to go to nursing school. I love my job and I love taking care of others. Of course, with my wife and me both nurses, it’s kind of hard to take care of the other one. I’m sure you have heard how nurse make the worst patients? I think it is true, “James replied.
What is your favorite part of your job as a nurse? “When the patient comes in, they are relying on someone to care for them. When they leave, they are in a better spot. It is nice to know that I have made a difference in someone’s life,” James said.
Asking James what qualities make a good nurse, he answered, “I think any nurse needs to have self-respect for themselves and have love that comes from within. It makes you want to give so much love to the world.” he answered with a smile.
James admitted that he has a hidden talent that he really enjoys. “I am a bit of a comedian and I like to make people laugh!” he said. I put a little love and funniness into my life. I also have a way of encouraging people. A smile can change a person. Even though I am a very simple person, I have plenty of love to give. Sometimes, we look too far ahead and that is when we miss out on the simple things in life. If we look too far out, we forget the simple things and what we have already.”
James enjoys spending time with his wife, Amy and his 19-year old son, James Foreman IV. We love to travel. I also love airplanes. Not the ‘flying’ but I love the roar of the plane and the smell of jet fuel. To me, a plane screams honor, discipline and the military serving our country. I go to a lot of airshows and they all come alive with freedom,” he said.
James encouraging words and sense of humor are his biggest assets. “I just have so much love and compassion to give to others,” he said. “I just want people to know that they will always have a friend in me and I will always support them in any way that I can.”
“What motivates me? Just the fact that I get to wake up each morning and the Lord has given me another chance at life. I will put my efforts towards something great; that doesn’t mean I have to move mountains, it’s just a simple smile or a hello to someone that makes a difference. It’s a pat on the back and a good job. Courtesy goes a long way.”
“Someday, I would like to be a motivational speaker, maybe a comedian; maybe, a humorous motivational speaker,” he said with a smile. “My other goals? I always say, “I want to live to be eighty years old, sitting under a shade tree, smoking my pipe.”
Summing up his life in one word, James had a quick reply, “BEAUTIFUL,” he said. “Last but not least, I want to thank all of the nurses, providers and staff here at The Indian Clinic that supports me in every way. All of you play a big part in my life and I appreciate each one of you in more ways than you know.”
DaVita is Hiring Registered Nurses, Patient Care Technicians and LPNs in Oklahoma City!
Visit: careers.davita.com to apply or email: Cambridge.Tillman@DaVita.com, phone (918) 520-8681
Join us in building a community of care.
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