St. Lawrence Health (SLH) believes it has the very best team of nurses throughout the North Country within its ranks at Canton-Potsdam, Gouverneur, and Massena hospitals.

Nurses Week is being celebrated May 6-12, and SLH’s dedicated nurses are incredibly passionate about what they do and the care they give. Nurses are often the people patients see the most when they are in the hospital; creating a strong bond of trust between them.

“Nurses are a sounding board for our patients’ concerns, worries, and hopes, and they are the eyes and ears for our providers,” noted SLH Senior VP of Nursing and Quality, and Canton-Potsdam Hospital Chief Nursing Officer Jan Carroll, RN, FACHE.

SLH has a united nursing team that looks out for each other by covering shifts, celebrating each other’s milestones, and being compassionate listeners during the difficult times.

“They are side-by-side through hard times and during the good times, offering both professional and personal advice to one another. Furthermore, they openly welcome the new nurses under their wings,” stated Gouverneur Hospital Nurse Manager Carrie Foster.

Carroll noted, “Our nurses have an array of experience, a wealth of knowledge, and manage periods of stress. When our community members were ill during the pandemic, or when it came time for them to be vaccinated, our devoted and diligent nurses were ready to do whatever they could to help keep them and their loved ones safe.”

While St. Lawrence Heath has a diverse nursing staff, the similarities between all of them is undeniable. “Our nurses are brave, resilient, intelligent, and thrive on learning every day,” Foster said.

During the fall of 2020, St. Lawrence Health initiated a Nurse Residency Program for new-to-practice nurses to assist them in closing the gap between nursing school and work. Canton-Potsdam, and Gouverneur hospitals already have nurses enrolled.

“The Program provides our newly graduated nurses with opportunities for growth, guidance, and support. It’s a solid starting point where they can develop their skills with confidence as they expand upon their knowledge as part of the medical team,” Foster said.

To learn about the Nurse Residency Program, visit https://www.stlawrencehealthsystem.org/nurse-residency, and to learn about nursing opportunities with St. Lawrence Health, visit https://www.stlawrencehealthsystem.org/careers.