Circle of caring spans generations

Amy Wood, RN staff nurse at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend, was on a break from her Operating Room shift, and checked her phone. A text message with a picture of two girls popped up.

“Mom, I think you’ve met the student nurse I’m orienting today,” read the text from her daughter, Samantha Shipley, RN staff nurse at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart. “She said she was with you on her OR rotation!”

Not only did Amy remember nursing student, Joanne Peery, a delightful young lady, but she had a surprise of her own for her daughter. She quickly took a picture with the nurse who had given her a break. It was none other than Joanne’s mother, Mary Peery, also an RN staff nurse at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart!

“That day the current generation of caregivers met the future,” said Amy. “The little girls we once cared for were now providing care, comfort and teaching.”

What an extraordinary moment of grace when life comes full circle with multiple generations of compassionate nurses providing care at a PeaceHealth facility, living out our healing Mission; taking care of our communities’ most pressing needs.

“We see our love and passion for life--in this case nursing--relived again, fresh and new in our children,” Amy said. “The future of nursing here is exciting and limitless with all the eager and bright young nurses, new grads and students around us! We celebrate our young colleagues!”

From left:  Amy Wood, Mary Peery, Joanne Peery and Samantha Shipley.