Christus honors nurses

The Port Arthur News

PORT ARTHUR Sat, May 17 2008

— By Amy Moore
The News staff writer
Patients on the cardiac floor of Christus St. Mary Hospital have a friend — even if they do not know it.
Several patients on the floor are in comas but each day someone talks to them as if they were in a candid conversation with their closest companion.
With 22 years of experience in nursing, Kathleen Mambretti knows the profession inside and out but does not feel like the work she does is actual work.
“I’m not a nurse, I’m a mom,” the Bridge City resident said. “I’m here to help any way I can.”
Even if that means talking to someone in a coma, sitting with a patient who has no visitors or going out of her way to meet the needs of her patients — sometimes even outside the walls of the hospital.
“There was a woman and her husband both here in the hospital and she told me that their little dog was locked up in their apartment with no one to let it out or feed it,” Mambretti said. “So I went over there and fed it and let it out. While I was there I noticed the place needed to be cleaned up a little, so I washed the dishes.”
Completely modest about the way she works, Mambretti, a Texas Women’s University graduate, was blown away to discover that she was a nominee for Nurse of the Year at Christus St. Mary for Nurse’s Week.
She was nominated by her unit, headed by Victor Molina, Cardiac Services Nurse Manager.
“At one time I was Kathleen’s neighbor. She is the most dedicated, loving nurse I’ve ever met,” Molina said. “She taught me everything I know and I ended up being her boss. I’ll appreciate her all my life.”
As a magnet hospital, many nursing students make their way through Christus St. Mary during their years in school. Molina said the word of Mambretti’s work has spread through the students and she has become the most sought after nursing mentor.
“They (the students) are young and they can’t keep up with her and they are better nurses for that,” he said.
Molina said the work of a nurse is often overlooked for the work of a doctor and can become overwhelming.
“We are the heart of the matter. It’s often said that doctors cure and nurses care,” he said. “We put a lot of hard work and dedication into our work.”
Mambretti’s dedication goes far beyond the daily medical care of her profession — as it does for many nurses.
After Hurricanes Rita and Humberto, Molina said nurses were calling and coming by the hospital to see what they could do to help.
“You have to love it,” Mambretti said. “It’s fun. We always say when we come in that it’s another day in paradise. I can’t imagine having a boring job.”
For her, every day is Nurse’s Day.
“We get to minister to our patients and their whole family, we take care of everybody,” she said. “I never leave my patients because I’m a mom and I understand. God gave me a gift to empathize with my patients. I cry, I cry, but I try hard to be in that place with them. I can relate to them.”
And Mambretti knows a lot about relating to family. With three children in college, Mambretti keeps her cell phone handy just in case any of her children need a minute with mom.
“When my children were young, I never worked 12 hour shifts. That was just too long to be away from them. Nursing is such a good profession because the hours are so flexible because there are so many needs,” she said. “Now I work a lot of overtime. It’s an opportunity to be your own boss and do your own things.”
Mambretti said her work is not her own, though, and finds meaning in it through her faith.
“It’s wonderful working here, God is everywhere. You can feel Him,” she said. “You can tell your patients that God is in control and they believe it. I’m His hands. I do what I was called to do and I love it.”
Throughout the week, Christus hospitals gave door prizes to nurses along with breakfasts and lunches. The hospital will name its Nurse of the Year Friday.
Other nominated nurses are: Charissa Broussard - CICU, Irlean Bastiste - telemetry, Reggie Savoie - ER, Ruth McKnight - surgery, Janet Sewell - radiology, Merri Latiolais - endoscopy, Gerri Thomas - oncology, palliative care, Claudia Cooksey - day surgery, Tretta Morvant - PACU and Marisa Owens - Cath lab.

Copyright © 1999-2008 cnhi, inc.