In lots of households, professions have been handed down via generations. It’s possible you’ll discover that lecturers, preachers or docs dominate the household. For the Pray household, nursing is the bond that binds them.

For Pam Pray, a few of her favourite reminiscences are the tales of how nursing has formed her household’s previous. Her grandmother would share tales along with her about working in a tuberculosis hospital on an Indian reservation in New Mexico.

“These tales are what obtained me into nursing,” she mentioned. “I stepped proper into working in girls’s care proper out of nursing faculty.”

Pam started her nursing profession working at a big well being heart within the Kansas Metropolis space earlier than bringing her midwifery expertise to Lawrence OB-GYN Specialists in 2013. When she joined LMH Well being, she appeared ahead to working at a neighborhood hospital the place she might present extra sensible care and speak to with the sufferers.

“You will get misplaced in a bigger well being care system as each a affected person and a supplier,” she mentioned. “When you’ve 20 individuals to go round and care for versus three to 5 individuals, you are not capable of construct these relationships as simply.”

Sufferers stored a eager eye on the care that Pam supplied. And there have been a couple of units of eyes at house who had been additionally eager about what was occurring – Pam’s younger kids.

There are 5 Pray siblings – Hannah, Abby, Drake, Marian and Stella – ranging in age from 26 to 12. Drake goes a special route, pursuing a legal justice diploma at Pittsburg State, however for the women, it is by no means been that. been a matter of them desirous to comply with their mom into care. In the event you look intently sufficient, chances are you’ll discover that greater than one of many nurses you work together with share a singular bond. The three oldest Pray women are all pursuing careers in girls’s care – particularly within the labor and supply unit at LMH Well being.

Jumps in ft first

Hannah was the primary to leap into the household enterprise. Whereas in nursing faculty at Emporia State College, she accomplished her capstone lessons by working the night time shift at LMH Well being’s Household Birthing Middle.

“Our mom has all the time labored in girls’s well being, whether or not it was with labor and supply, in a clinic or as a midwife. She advocates for girls and makes positive they’ve the well being care and assist they want,” mentioned Hannah. “It was a driving pressure for me — for all of us — to enter girls’s well being majors.”

There have been no vacancies within the labor and supply unit when he utilized for a job earlier than commencement, so Hannah accepted a place at LMH Well being within the intensive care unit. Earlier than she began, a place opened up on the Household Beginning Middle and she or he jumped on the likelihood to fill that function. Hannah labored nights and settled in, studying her new function and extra about pediatrics. After a yr, she transitioned to day care and discovered the ropes in labor and supply.

The trail to working with moms and infants was not so easy for Abby. She knew she wished to be a nurse, however she did not know what specialty she was headed for, however it undoubtedly wasn’t labor and supply.

“I wished to department out,” Abby mentioned. “My mum and my sister each labored with mums and infants, in order that wasn’t the place I used to be headed – at the very least not at first.”

Abby had all the time wished to work at LMH Well being. Not solely would she have the ability to work in the identical facility as her mom and be near house, Abby liked finishing her nursing faculty at LMH. After graduating from Washburn College in December 2019, she began working at 2-North in January 2020 – after which COVID hit.

“I assumed I used to be going to get my ft moist and get an excellent basis, however COVID occurred after I obtained off orientation and that modified all the things,” Abby mentioned. “I floated in all places and discovered all about LMH, met lots of people and was launched to plenty of locations.”

Abby mentioned she wished to maneuver into one other main, however she wasn’t fairly positive what she wished to do. She interviewed in a couple of departments on the hospital when a possibility to work in labor and supply introduced itself. Pam and Hannah inspired Abby to present it a shot, and the remaining, as they are saying, is historical past.

“I fell in love with it. I would not say it is due to Hannah and my mother,” she laughed, “however I instantly felt snug and being an advocate for girls at a really weak time. I goes to be a assist for individuals at what’s both a very nice or a particularly low level of their life.”

Getting into the sector

From the time Marian was a bit of lady, she advised individuals she wished to be a nurse when she grew up. Her want stemmed from watching Pam care for her sick grandfather.

“When my grandfather was sick, I noticed my mom care for him. That is after I knew nursing was what I wished to do – and in addition watching Hannah undergo nursing faculty,” mentioned Marian. “I did not know instantly that this was what I wished to do working with moms and infants, however I known as my mom proper after my first medical examination and advised her that this was the appropriate place for me.”

Working near house is without doubt one of the features of LMH Well being that attracted Marian. When she was on the lookout for a spot to finish her medical rotation for nursing faculty at Emporia State, she requested her mom if it could be potential to come back to LMH. Pam put out some feelers and Marian discovered a spot within the labor and supply ward.

“I used to be nervous about beginning my rotation, however I knew I might have acquainted faces round me,” Marian mentioned. “It is good to have these connections, particularly whenever you’re the small fish in a giant pond. It has been great to have somebody to ask after I had questions, particularly household.

Childhood reminiscences

As the women grew up, there have been instances when Pam’s profession did not have all the advantages. There have been many Friday nights when she was on name, and a few holidays appeared a bit of totally different, however the household all the time discovered a technique to make it work.

“When my mother was on name on Fridays, we knew she would not be round as a result of she wished to work,” Marian recalled. “It was Father’s Day, so we had chops and mac and cheese, and we visited my grandfather generally.”

Though their regular appeared a bit of totally different due to Pam’s schedule, Abby mentioned nothing about that have stored her from following her into care.

“I do not suppose it ever entered my thoughts as one thing that will deter me from breastfeeding,” she defined. “Mother might need missed soccer or volleyball video games, perhaps some birthdays, however we all the time made it work. We simply needed to be versatile and make issues occur as they got here.”

Pam recalled one Christmas that appeared a bit of totally different than normal so she and her husband might make sure the household spent the vacation collectively.

“I missed some issues with the youngsters, holidays, after I was on responsibility. One yr Rick stuffed up all of the Christmas presents and took them to my dad and mom’ home. He made positive I used to be capable of watch the youngsters open all their presents,” Pam shared.

Why LMH Well being?

In the event you ask any of the Prays why they select to work at LMH Well being, all of it comes again to 1 theme – working in a tight-knit neighborhood that appears like household.

“I labored many locations as a nursing pupil, however I got here again to Lawrence,” Abby mentioned. “You realize everybody and you’re feeling such as you’re at house. It is the neighborhood that made me wish to work at LMH. It is nice.”

Marian mentioned the care the workers gives to the neighborhood is without doubt one of the issues that drew her to the well being system.

“You are going to have good days and dangerous days at any job, however it doesn’t matter what sort of day, I’ve seen Hannah, Abby and my mother come house and communicate so extremely of the hospital and the care they have been capable of present ,” she mentioned. “That is one thing I wished to be part of, too.”

Being able to take care of individuals you recognize has been an expertise that generally can’t be put into phrases, particularly relating to household. Pam’s brother, Ryan, and his associate lately had their child at LMH Well being, and it was a household affair.

“It was nice to have them right here for the supply. I used to be capable of help with the c-section and Marian was within the working room as a pupil that day,” Pam shared. “Erin appreciated Abby being within the nursery and desirous to care for the infant. You present distinctive care when you’ve an distinctive crew, and we had been capable of ship that.

“As a supplier and mom, I’m proud to work for LMH Well being, however it says loads that I’ve recruited my very own kids to do the identical,” mentioned Pam. “I really feel strongly concerning the care we give society. I am positive they really feel the identical means I do and wish to be part of this.”