Healing Heroes: Catholic nurses inject faith into demanding job

When the going gets tough, Catholic nurses turn to their faith to get them through a demanding job.

“You have to look at this as a service, not a job,” said Hana Gebrewold, a nurse at Mercy Medical Center in downtown Baltimore.

Already in a challenging profession, nurses’ responsibilities and stress levels have been on the rise since the coronavirus pandemic hit.

Gebrewold, 43, said having her Catholic faith to lean on has been essential.

“I really enjoy making a difference,” said the Baltimore resident who attends church regularly at her home parish in Washington, D.C. “The job is hard, but the emotional reward is powerful. It requires your physical, spiritual and emotional gifts.”

Gebrewold, who has worked her entire 15-year career at Mercy, serves as a lead nurse in the endoscopy department. The University of Maryland Baltimore graduate said she decided to become a nurse when she witnessed the compassion of nurses firsthand as she recovered from a coma at age 16.

“Nurses do everything now; it’s a demanding job,” said the certified life and wellness coach. “If you have the mentality of service, you have the emotional strength to work through the tough parts.

“It’s the most rewarding profession,” Gebrewold said. “Being there when someone is at their lowest point and aiding them gives you such a sense of power.”

Gebrewold, who grew up with seven siblings, said after doing her clinical rotations as a student she didn’t want to work any place other than Mercy. She waited eight months for a job to open at the downtown hospital after finishing her studies.

“At a Catholic hospital, they allow you to practice your faith,” she said. “It’s an incredible moment when someone is at their lowest moment and they ask you to pray with them. You can do that at Mercy; it’s encouraged.”

Jenice “Nicey” Olo, a 23-year-old first-year nurse at University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore, said she leans on her Catholic faith when helping a patient or their family member work through a tough patch.

“A lot of times patients need a spiritual touch,” said Olo, who graduated from Notre Dame of Maryland University in May 2022 and works on the pediatric progressive care unit at UMMC. “Sometimes you just have to step back and center yourself and remind yourself that nursing really is doing God’s will – taking care of people.”

Olo, who grew up in Silver Spring attending St. Camillus Parish, said her mother’s brief bout with cancer when she was 12 inspired her to go into nursing.

“I saw the way the nurses were with my mom, how compassionate they were,” Olo said. “I really like helping people, so nursing was a natural for me.”

Olo said the great thing about nursing is the flexibility in the number of career paths. She started on the pediatric intensive care unit but found it was not for her because she valued more communication with her patients.

“The great thing about nursing is that there are so many options. If you find yourself in a job you don’t like, you can always switch to a different unit,” said Olo, who hopes to one day be a professor of nursing.

Olo acknowledged the job can be stressful, but said her schooling at Notre Dame prepared her well.

Nancy Scheitlin, 60, a registered nurse at University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center in Towson is on the opposite end of the career spectrum from Olo but she still carries the same devotion and passion after 36 years.

“It’s about dignity, respect, loving our patients and humility,” said Scheitlin, a parishioner of St. Clement I in Lansdowne and a graduate of St. Joseph School of Nursing.

Scheitlin said the stresses of the pandemic only increased her faith and her desire to serve.

“Years ago, I thought if I were at the foot of the cross, how would I care for Jesus?” she said. “I now realize that I care for Jesus in every patient that I’m caring for.”

Scheitlin, who attended Sacred Heart of Jesus and Holy Rosary elementary schools in East Baltimore, said she tries to lead younger nurses by example.

“It’s important to show them that we’re all here for each other and that we can get through this together,” said the graduate of the now-closed Seton High School in Baltimore.

Veteran nurses such as Gebrewold said it is important for newcomers to the profession to develop a support system.

“The first thing you have to know is why you are in the field,” Gebrewold said. “When you know the why, the physical part will take care of itself. Love yourself and take care of yourself; form a support group and don’t be afraid to ask for help.”

Gebrewold also said she will never forget the nurses who inspired her career path.

“My deepest gratitude to all the nurses who cared for me and lit up a passion in me,” she said. “I aspire to be like you all, to be God’s instrument to serve others the same way I was served by your compassion, passion and wisdom.”

By the Numbers

According to the Maryland Board of Nursing, 87,386 registered nurses and 10,742 licensed practical nurses were registered in the state as of Sept. 5.

The number increased by more than 6,000 in the past four years.

However, a report commissioned by the Maryland Hospital Association projects a shortfall of 13,800 registered nurses by 2035 in Maryland. 

Email Gerry Jackson at gjackson@CatholicReview.org

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