May 6, 2005

Regions honors nursing staff during nurses week May 6 - 12
Profession keeps nurses young at heart and mind

St. Paul, Minn., May 6, 2005 Hospitals across the nation celebrate National Nurses Week, May 6-12. Among the diverse nursing staff at Regions Hospital in Saint Paul are women and men, native Minnesotans and immigrants, new graduates and those who work beyond retirement, including two nurses who prove that nursing is a profession that keeps you young at heart.

Marge Morris, R.N., began working at Regions Hospital in 1959, back when the hospital was known as Ancker Hospital. Her first job was in intensive care, called the post-op unit back in 1959. She has been part of the hospital's surgical team for 46 years.

Although Morris now works a part-time schedule in the PACU, she says, "I'm still here because the work I do is always challenging. I can still keep up with the younger nurses and my work keeps my mind sharp."

Morris believes one of the biggest changes over the years has been the advances in technology, which have made it easier to monitor and assess the progress of her patients.

Dorothy Renstrom, R.N., also has a lengthy background at Regions. She had worked at Regions nearly 25 years when she retired in 1996. About six months after retirement, she returned to her job in the same-day surgery department. At age 76 May 3 was her birthday she still enjoys the job where her colleagues are the same ages as her daughters.

"While we all have different personalities, we're closely knit," Renstrom says. "We're all working toward the same goal to provide comfort and safety for our patients, and to provide comfort and information to their families."

Nursing Week coincides with nursing pioneer Florence Nightingales May 12th birthday each year.

Regions Hospital is a premier, full-service, private hospital providing outstanding medical care, with special programs in heart, womens care, cancer care, seniors services, digestive care, behavioral health, surgery, burn, emergency and Level I trauma. Established in 1872, the hospital has served the Twin Cities and surrounding region for more than 130 years. Patients receive state-of-the-art care in an environment that promotes comfort and healing. The health professionals at Regions Hospital are involved in teaching and research focused on improving health and medical care. Regions Hospital is part of the HealthPartners family of healthcare organizations.