Stefanie Grady, RN, Inpatient Rehab Nurse, Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital
I help patients get back to life!
We receive patients from the medical side of the hospital who are usually pretty stable. This is their final step before they go home. We see patients who are recovering from situations like stroke or knee replacement and work with them and their families to do self-care and be as independent as possible.
What I like best
I really feel like it's my calling. I do a lot of teaching - things that the patients have to relearn and that we take for granted - like brushing teeth or tying shoe laces. We also work closely with the physical and speech therapists to treat the whole person. In nursing, we take on the medical needs. We focus on learning and preventative care to avoid a patient having to come back to the hospital.
What's my nursing philosophy? It's important to provide the best care. I treat all of my patients as if they were family and from the first moment, I try to make a connection with them. It's important in rehab nursing to click with patients and their families because it helps to build trust.
Why I love Henry Ford Hospital I really like the unit that I'm in and I also like the fact that this is a community hospital, where everyone knows everyone else. It's a very supportive atmosphere. We're always being encouraged to attend in-service programming and conferences. My supervisors are encouraging me to go back to school for the BSN completion program.
Why am I a nurse?
It is, at times, stressful and frustrating, but it is also so very rewarding because to patients and their families, nurses are unsung heroes, every day.
