UTSW nurses head to Houston to provide relief for peers, care for patients
DALLAS – September 4, 2017 – Decades ago, Jennifer Renee Schlueter was planning to buck a family history in nursing to become a biochemist.
But a close relative was hospitalized, then coded twice, requiring resuscitation. The moment was pivotal for her.
“The nurse didn’t take care of him and something hit me – you need to go help people. I think you are born to do certain jobs in life. This is what I was called to do,” she said.
As Hurricane Harvey hit the Houston area, another pivotal moment arose and again Ms. Schlueter, Assistant Nurse Manager in 8 South/MICU, felt the calling.
“I’m going down there to help and give the best care that I can…and to show the compassion that humanity still has,” said Ms. Schlueter, R.N., B.S.N., O.C.N., as she packed in preparation for a two-week stay in the flood ravaged area.
Monday, she joined more than 40 other UT Southwestern Medical Center nurses from a wide range of specialties at Zale Lipshy and Clements University Hospitals and across the ambulatory clinics. They have volunteered to take on duties caring for cancer patients affected by Hurricane Harvey and providing much needed relief for nurses at sister UT institution MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.
More than half of MD Anderson’s nurses have been affected, with issues ranging from individuals going home and finding two inches of water in their homes to those experiencing a total loss. School buildings have been lost causing potential delay in some schools opening Sept. 11. The hospital will experience an increase due to the opening of clinics and an increase in the need for ambulatory services.
More than 100 UT Southwestern nurses stepped up within a few hours of sending out the call, said Susan Hernandez, M.B.A., B.S.N., R.N., Health System Chief Nursing Executive for UT Southwestern University Hospitals.
“It’s just a desire to help,” she said. “There may be other reasons among them, but there’s just a genuine desire to help among nurses and to help fellow institutions and mostly to help fellow Texans in need. It made me so proud.”
Lisa Guin, R.N., O.C.N., at the hematology oncology clinic at UT Southwestern’s Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, will be among them, though she’s never been to a disaster area and doesn’t know anyone there.
“I really wanted to do something. I had already signed up for work at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center,” she said. “There are patients dealing with their disease, and now flooding. That’s just got to be horrible. I feel I can bring a lot of humanness – give them a smile if they need a smile, give them a hug if they need a hug. And I feel for these sweet nurses who haven’t had a chance to be with their families or worry about their own situation.”
Many of those who answered the call, like Ms. Guin, a 9-year oncology nursing veteran, are experienced, but will still need to spend a day training and shadowing nurses at MD Anderson to get a feel for their duties, patients’ needs, and where supplies are located.
“We’re up to the challenge,” Ms. Schlueter said. “We want to let them see that we’re human too and we’re here for you.”
About UT Southwestern Medical Center
UT Southwestern, one of the premier academic medical centers in the nation, integrates pioneering biomedical research with exceptional clinical care and education. The institution’s faculty has received six Nobel Prizes, and includes 22 members of the National Academy of Sciences, 18 members of the National Academy of Medicine, and 14 Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigators. The faculty of more than 2,700 is responsible for groundbreaking medical advances and is committed to translating science-driven research quickly to new clinical treatments. UT Southwestern physicians provide care in about 80 specialties to more than 100,000 hospitalized patients, 600,000 emergency room cases, and oversee approximately 2.2 million outpatient visits a year.
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Media Contact: Russell Rian
214-648-3404
russell.rian@utsouthwestern.edu
