Mary Baker, APRN Nurse Practitioner for Advocate Aurora Health, has been named a 2022 Frontline Honors honoree by Skilled Nursing News.
To become a Frontline Honoree, an individual is nominated by their peers. The candidate must be a dedicated, high-performing frontline worker who delivers exceptional experiences and outcomes; a passionate worker who knows how to put their vision into action for the good of seniors and aging industry professionals; and an advocate for seniors, their industry, and their peers.
Skilled Nursing News caught up with Baker to discuss their time in the skilled nursing industry.
SNN: What drew you to the Skilled Nursing industry?
Baker: I have worked in health care for over 37 years and have cared for patients of all ages from pediatrics to geriatrics. Geriatric patients have been my favorite population and what drew me into the skilled nursing industry.
What’s your biggest lesson learned since starting to work in the industry?
In my years in the SNF, I have learned how complex the discharge process can be and the work that is involved in safe dc planning.
What’s your favorite part about your job?
The patients are what keeps me coming back day after day. Older patients are full of wisdom, history and are faith filled. I feel connected to them and have so much respect for them. Especially during the last couple of years with the COVID pandemic, these patients have been negatively affected by the isolation policies that have been in place. Too often, I was their only outside human contact and even the last person to talk to them before they passed away. As the world became virtual, I was obligated to continue seeing the patients daily in person.
What may be one thing leaders don’t know, that you wish they universally knew, about your job?
The vast number of people working in the SNFs are caring, compassionate people. I have the utmost respect for the social workers who are so dedicated to discharge planning- they work long hours and deserve to be better compensated for all that they do.
To view the Frontline Honors Class of 2022, visit frontlinehonors.agingmedia.com
