Cassie Laurent, Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) at Litchfield Health & Rehab Center, has been named a 2024 Frontline Honors honoree by Skilled Nursing News. This year’s SNN Frontline Honors program is sponsored by TeamHealth.
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 for the good of their respective industry, the patients and residents they serve, and their families
- An advocate for their industry and their fellow colleagues
Skilled Nursing News recently caught up with Laurent to discuss their time in the skilled nursing industry.
SNN: What drew you to this industry?
Laurent: I have wanted to be a nurse since I was seven years-old. My mom was a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) at the time and would take us children into the facility where she worked and introduce us to some of the residents. They always had great things to say about her and would share their stories with us. I personally experienced the care of multiple nurses related to the numerous ear surgeries I underwent throughout my childhood. I always wanted to learn how to provide that same kind of care and support to others.
SNN: What’s your biggest lesson learned since starting to work in the industry?
Laurent: The biggest lesson I have learned is that being a nurse is not just taking care of the physical needs of my residents. You have to take care of the total person, and that includes caring for them mentally and spiritually. If a resident is not in a good frame of mind, no amount of medication or therapy is going to help them completely. The resident has to feel safe and secure in their environment in order to fully participate and perform the tasks required for therapy.
SNN: What’s your favorite part about your job?
Laurent: One of my absolute favorite parts of the job is when I know that a resident feels safe, secure, and respected in their home with us. As the resident becomes more comfortable, they are more willing to participate in therapies and activities. Residents become more confident in their ability to regain some, if not all, of their independence. They become more comfortable with their new limitations and are better able to learn new techniques to assist them in gaining independence, even with disabilities.
SNN: What do you want the general public to better understand about your job and the industry you serve?
Laurent: Long-term care is consistently changing and improving. When a resident comes into
my facility, they are home, whether it is short-term or long-term. Our Litchfield Health team strives to meet not only the physical/medical needs of the individual, but attend to their mental and spiritual health as well. The staff learns and prioritizes each resident’s personal preferences and includes the families in all communication. Staff and families working together is one of the ways to help the residents feel safe and secure in the care we provide.
SNN: What’s something that you wish other people in your organization — particularly leaders who don’t work on the front lines — understood better about your job?
Laurent: One of my main concerns is resource availability. Not every resident is the same; each one is unique in his or her own way, and what is standard for one person may not work for another. As new techniques and medical items that would assist staff in providing proper care to our residents as individuals become more available, we should have access to these items. This would help improve the quality of care we are able to provide.
To view the entire Frontline Honors Class of 2024, visit https://frontlinehonors.com/.
