by Vickie Jenkins – Writer/Photographer
Located at 8100 S. Walker is Oklahoma Center for Orthopaedic and Multi- Specialty Surgery (OCOM). This is where you will find one of the caring nurses, Caryn Novotney, RN. Caryn has been a nurse for ten years; spending the last eight years here. “Ever since I was a twelve years old, I knew I wanted to be a nurse. I fell in love with babies and found myself being the motherly type, trying to take care of everyone else,” she said. “I have worked in a hospital before but I like working here because I have a one-on-one care with the patients and I like the small hospital feeling. One of my favorite things about this job is the one-on-one care. No matter what the circumstances, each patient deserves to be that one important person at the moment.”
Asking Caryn to describe herself, she replied, “I am a very caring, nurturing and empathetic person. I am a little shy when I meet someone for the first time but since I have been a nurse, I have gotten over my shyness. I feel like that has made me become a little more outgoing, handling myself around others better. I feel like being a nurse has helped me tremendously. I am motivated by check lists; setting goals and listing them. I like to check that list off as soon as I can! I am motivated to complete it with a little check beside it,” she said with a laugh. “I have lots of lists.”
Working at OCOM can be very busy at times and we have quite a few patients throughout the day. I work in pretesting, making the patients as comfortable as possible. Sometimes, it is hard to get the patients to open up but as soon as they feel comfortable, I feel like I have gained their trust and they are less stressed about the whole situation. I usually see ten patients a day, one-on-one basis. It is a great feeling when they come in for surgery and I know I have all the tests done so that the surgery can take place. Being a nurse is very rewarding.” Caryn commented.
What advice would you give someone going into the medical field? Caryn replied, “I would tell them to learn how to deal with people. I think it is good for someone to be in a customer service environment; that could apply to any job. Being polite and courteous is a big part of any relationship and is certainly a nurse should have. A nurse needs to study hard and not give up, even when the going gets tough. They need to be good listeners building up the trust between the nurse and the patient.” When I was at Oklahoma Christian University, I lot of my mentors were my peers. We formed small groups and studied together. It was a big help. One of my outstanding mentors was in the hospital when I went through my internship; Harriet Cooper, RN. She was such an inspiration to me and I feel like she helped me in so many ways. I am happy to say that we are still friends today.”
On a personal note, Caryn is married to a wonderful man, Curtis. They have one daughter, Caylee, three years old and a son on the way, making his arrival in March. Their four-legged pets include three dogs; Rayna, a beagle lab, Timber, a golden retriever, and last, but not least, Tux, a beagle pug (puggle). “Tux is a little black and white dog and he looks like he is wearing a tux,” Caryn said. Caryn can also be found working at Visiting Angels, (Living Assistance) a few times a week. “I do the assessments on the patients and make sure someone is there to take care of their needs when the patients can’t be on their own. Once again, it is that one-on-one thing that I like,” she said with a smile. “I have worked Visiting Angels for two and half years. When not working at OCOM or Visiting Angels, I enjoy doing crafts and spending time with my family, watching movies. We also like do some traveling when we are able.”
Asking Caryn to sum up her life in one word, she replied, “Well, with my work, husband and a three year old daughter and one on the way, life is quite an adventure. I would have to say Adventurous.”
At The Wilshire Skilled Nursing & Therapy, we strive for excellence in the physical care of the people we serve and are fully committed to assisting their pursuit of meaningful lives.
We are a skilled nursing and rehabilitation center that also provides long-term care. Our mission — and approach to care — is to serve people with compassion and dignity.
Currently we are looking for:
CNA’s!
2p-10p (Shift Differential)
10p-6a (Shift Differential)
All Shifts available!
REQUIREMENTS
· Able to pass criminal background check
· Must be Licensed in the
state of Oklahoma
COMMITMENT TO EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT
The Wilshire Skilled Nursing & Therapy strives to provide full-time employees with advancement opportunities
through training, individual education funds, matching scholarships and the promotion of a career ladder.
The Wilshire Skilled Nursing & Therapy, is an Equal Opportunity Employer. This location is independently owned and operated.
Please contact Gail or Karen Locke at 405-478-0531!
EOE
