At the suggestion of a coworker, Stephen Thornton became an employee of Community Health Network back in 2001. Now almost eighteen years later, Stephen not only continues to be a great Hospice nurse but he has consistently gone above and beyond to meet the needs of both his patients and the agencies he has been assigned to through the years as a CHN employee. In fact, it is at his current assignment that Stephen was just presented with a “Certificate of Appreciation” Peer Award at their quarterly staff meeting. He has been working at the same Home Care agency, including a merger with another Home Care agency, for over 5 years. He worked during the agency’s transition which involved switching to a different EMR taking it all in stride. This is an excellent example of Stephen’s character. He is flexible, adaptable and prepared to go where he is needed.
Stephen states he welcomes the autonomy that being a Home Care Nurse provides. He enjoys seeing one patient at a time and being able to focus his care on that individual. It takes an experienced, confident nurse to work independently in the community and as part of a team in a home care agency.
Stephen currently works full time as a caseload manager and is available as a resource nurse. He has also worked in Palliative and Hospice Care. He is a veteran Home Care Nurse who has a variety of patients on his current caseload. He is most interested in caring for patients requiring wound care. He is also proficient in starting and maintaining IVs, administering TPN, and drawing labs from different ports.
When Stephen is not caring for his patients you may find him working in his garden when the weather is nice or taking time off in warmer climates to rejuvenate.
As we enter the fall and winter months it is also a time to reflect and be thankful. Here at CHN we are always thankful for the dedicated, caring and skilled nurses that we have on our team. Each one of our nurses, no matter how long they have been with CHN brings a unique personality, skill set, and passion for what they do. Whether we are on the giving or the receiving end of care, we all have something to be thankful for.
We especially want to recognize and thank Stephen Thornton at this time for his longevity of service, his commitment to delivering excellent patient care, and more importantly for reminding us what matters most especially this time of year.
Caring for one…that’s love,
Caring for hundreds…that’s nursing
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