CNA, CHPNA – Certified Nurse Aide
Brenda, a ‘Bailey girl’ through and through, has been caring for patients in her mountain community and along the 285-corridor for 32 years.
“I love my mountain community. It feels like family,” says Brenda. “I couldn’t go work in the city or a facility somewhere. I’m helping my neighbors. Sometimes, it’s hard to go the grocery store because I run into so many people I’ve cared for over the years, but I love what I do.”
Brenda, trained as a respiratory therapist, applied to Mount Evans hoping to make a difference in the lives of mountain residents. Even though Mount Evans wasn’t hiring a respiratory therapist, the team recognized there was something special about Brenda.
“The lady who interviewed me told me I would make a fabulous aide. Nursing aides didn’t actually have to be certified back then. That’s where it all began and where I’ve stayed.”
A lot has changed in the three decades since Brenda started. She’s now certified as a both a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) and a Certified Hospice and Palliative Nursing Assistant (CHPNA). But what has never changed since the day Brenda started at Mount Evans Home Health Care & Hospice is the love, care and attention that Brenda showers on every patient.
“I come in and help them with their personal care, but I do it with dignity and I give them as much independence as possible. Even if it takes them longer to do a task, I think it’s important to let them do it. My patients mean the world to me. I connect with them because I really listen to what they have to say. I couldn’t do anything else. I love what I do. It’s my calling. I go home every night and my heart is full.”
