2023 Nurse of the Year Nominee: Felicia Liebert
Registered nurse Felicia Liebert, a staff nurse at Vernon Memorial Healthcare, decided to pursue nursing as a career, following the suggestion of her high school guidance counselor.
When Liebert took an aptitude test, she was in her senior year of high school and found nursing to be a good career fit.
“I went to an outside guidance counselor, and they suggested the same thing,” says Liebert. “They said you like science, you like people, and you probably don’t want to sit at a desk.
The nearby nursing school was the Miami Valley Hospital School of Nursing in Dayton, Ohio. Liebert enrolled in her program for a diploma equivalent to the associate nursing program. She said the diploma program no longer exists.
The Diploma Program meant that Liebert and her fellow nursing students plunged into academics at the same time as the clinic during their first year of school.
“It was great and very exciting,” said Liebert. “It was hard, but I loved it. I thought that was the way to go.”
Liebert uses her nursing skills in multiple positions at the hospital. She works as an emergency room, obstetrics, medical surgery, and house supervisor. She said most of her time is spent helping out in the emergency room.
“I’m flexible,” she said. “I’m cross-trained and I can go anywhere. A lot of us are cross-trained.”
Liebert worked for Vernon Memorial Healthcare for 30 years and became a registered nurse in 1985.
She said the most rewarding part of nursing is always making someone feel better. If so, that’s the most rewarding part of the job: to ease their suffering.”
Liebert was nominated for the Heart of Health Care award by colleague Michelle Burbach.
“Felicia is one of those seasoned nurses who are very good at everything she does,” Verbach wrote in her nomination letter. “She works as an Emergency Department, OB, Medical Surgeon, and House Supervisor.
“Felicia is kind, caring, shares her knowledge with other staff members, and provides excellent patient care. She is passionate about healthcare and our patients. wants to be top notch for everyone, she often gets extra shifts to cover vacancies when needed and cover again when no one else is available.
“Felicia radiates positive energy, poise, expertise, organization, passion, work ethic, camaraderie, and a motherly vibe to work with.”
Verbach said Liebert was the “keystone” of the organization and that her colleagues were lucky.
Liebert said she was “very happy” to be nominated and selected as one of the top 10 nurses.
“It’s nice to hear the praise,” she said. “It wasn’t what I expected. It’s a nice touch.”
Nursing has become increasingly difficult in recent years, Liebert said.
“There has been an outflow of people leaving healthcare. I was taking a break.It was a year of endurance, challenge and survival.”
Despite the challenges, Liebert said nursing remains a noble profession. “Who wouldn’t want to comfort someone who is hurt?”
A longtime nurse said that anyone considering nursing as a career should pursue it.
“I want to tell people that they must be people with a humane, humane heart who want to make the world a better place. People need soft TLC because technology is so sharp.” ”