Brooks, Roger, PNCS

BIOGRAPHY & MEMORIES of MARY (DICKINSON) BROOKS
Immanuel Hospital School of Nursing - Class of 1966
The year that we graduated I married Roger who was the love of my life and whom I was engaged to all thru nursing school. That was mostly decided when Roger asked my Dad for my hand in marriage in 1962. My Dad insisted that I get my nursing education before we got married. Therefore the long engagement. We were married in September. So this year will also be our 50th Wedding Anniversary. Roger by the way was in the Navy during this time so he kept busy also. After we got married we made our first home in Oak Harbor, Washington where Roger was stationed. I worked in a Hospital in Anacortes, WA and for the first job, it was great experience. Everyone floated to all the areas and I worked the Medical-Surgical Unit, Pediatrics and at times was the only person in the Emergency Room. All the RN's would go to the Pharmacy when the Phar-macist was not there and get medications as needed. WOW have times changes and rightly so. Our first daughter Michell LeAnn was born in the Navy Hospital in November of 1997. I then took time off for 11 months and then returned to Private Duty Nursing for a short period of time. It was a good experience but after "Earning My Angel Wings" (not getting paid), I decided that I didn't have enough business savvy for that job. I then worked at a Nursing Home and loved hearing the "old stories" of the clients there. After 3 years there, Roger was transferred to another duty station. This new assignment for Roger was to go to Viet Nam. At this time we were expecting our second child. I spent the next year in Cheyenne, Wyoming because that put us closer to both of our parents in Nebraska. It was the closest we could get and have a military hospital (Air Force Hospital) to use. Our second daughter Kimberly Jo was born in November 1969. Roger left for Viet Nam in October and did not see his youngest daughter until she was 10 months old. I understand how hard it is being separated because of military deployment and how important it is to keep involved in things and to stay busy. Also being concerned about being out of nursing for long, I worked part time at the Memorial Hospital on both the
medical and surgical units. It was great for us that Roger came home from Viet Nam and that meant a new duty station. We then moved to San Jose, California. Roger was assigned a position with an Air
Squadron out of Moffett Field, CA. I took a job working for four doctors in a clinic in Los Altos, Ca. That meant driving an hour on a large interstate to and from his work and my job. It wasn't that far but the traffic was horridness. Great Doctors there and I learned a lot about Rheumatoid Arthritis and Internal Medicine. This was 1971 to 1972 and then again another Navy Assignment. We then moved to the Navy Air Station in Millington, Tennessee. I worked on the
Medical-Surgical Unit at the Navy Hospital there almost 4 years. You think some Nursing Supervisors are tough----trying working with Navy Nurses! You better believe things got done correctly. I did enjoy working with the Corpsmen. They were so willing to learn and usually very skilled in their care. They then started to eliminate civilian nursing positions at the time Roger was getting ready for another Navy Assignment. In 1976 we moved to Charleston, South Carolina and I started a job at the Regional Medical Center in Charleston. I started as a clinical nurse and then moved into a Patient Care Coordinator role. The girls loved this duty station because they got to go have supper with their father on his "ship". Roger would go out to sea for short times except for a Mediterranean Cruise which was for 7 months. We lived here three years. We lived in a community of Navy families and everyone helped each other out when needed and this served as a support group. Roger was then due for "shore duty" and we decided to get as close to home as possible. In April of 1979 we moved to Brandon, South Dakota. I started work at Sioux Valley Hospital which in now Sanford USD Medical Center in Sioux Falls, SD. I have held several positions here including: Staff Clinical Nurse, Assistant Head Nurse, Clinical Care Coordinator, Patient Care Coordinator and in 2003 I started a
new position in the hospital as Bariatric Coordinator. In this role I did the education of the patients for the weight loss surgical patients, followed the patient after surgery while in the hospital, did follow up calls and did a Bariatric Support Group with a Dietician. I also prepared the program for Accreditation thru the National Bariatric Association which we received. It was a gratifying job in seeing the clients that succeeded after the surgery and disheartening for the few that just couldn't follow the care needed. I remained in this role until December of 2006 at which time I retired from the Hospital. I would not trade all this experience for anything. During this time, I learned many different roles in nursing, learned how to care for many cultures and beliefs, got to see a good share of the United States with the help of the Navy, and had wonderful experiences with my husband of two daughters. One thing I think everyone finds out, you may retire from the job but you never retire from nursing. I still use some of my nursing talents at our church and for
numerous neighbors and for the family. Roger has had several experiences with his heart that include Heart Bypass surgery and several heart stent placement
procedures. I am not sure how families without any medical experience make it thru such procedures and the follow-up cares at home. We are blessed with two wonderful grandchildren. Kjerstin is the daughter of
Michell and Michael who live close by in Sioux Falls, SD. Kjerstin is in her first year of college at the University of South Dakota and has already been accepted into the School of Medicine. A future doctor here! Wallace is the son of Kimberly and Chuck and he graduates from High School this June in St. John, Virgin Islands. He has applied to a music (which he is so talented in) college in Dublin, Ireland. It has
been a joy to watch these two grandchildren become such wonderful people. I stay involved with my love of animals and especially dogs. We have two of our own and two Grand-dogs. I had big plans for our Collie like Lassie) to do Pet Therapy and go into hospitals, Nursing Homes and to go to schools for children to
read to. But that was my dream and not his. He is a high stress dog and does not tolerate doing these things. Although he loves kids and all the kids around know him and pet him. He remains Roger and my Therapy Dog and I am good with that. How times and nursing has changed in these 50 years is phenomenal. The technical aspect of nursing is unbelievable and has a lot of good and some not so good parts to it. One thing is for sure. Everything changes with time. I am so looking forward to this 50 year get together. Best Wishes to all the 1966 classmates.
Mary Brooks