GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — It's often said that nurses are the frontline of medical care. For nurses at the Michigan Veteran Home in Grand Rapids, they treat patients from the beginning until the very end.
"I could never, ever do anything else but getting to know them," said Bette Barker, a nurse at the Veteran's Home for 22 years.
Caring for a patient there is a unique journey. Barker's career there is a journey itself.
It asks a lot of her but she wouldn't have it any other way.
"I spend more time here than I do at home; I literally love what I do," she remarked.
She says it's hard not to feel good making an impact on the patients and residents around her.
She said, "One of the things we say here is, 'Find a way to say yes to give the veterans what they want.'"
Her work has not gone unnoticed, particularly when caring for patients nearing the end of life.
"She feels like she can't leave," explained Lynne Myszak, a coworker of Barker's. "You know, it's their time and she is drawn to stay."
Myszak has worked with Barker for nine years.
She said, "We are all stars here working for the veterans, but there's one that shines, and that's Betty."
That's why she nominated Barker for FOX 17's Pay It Forward Spotlight Award.
When we asked what it means to Barker to be recognized, she put the focus back on the team around her.
"We talk about everything; we cry together; we laugh together," she shared. "It's hard here when we lose our members. It's really tough. So I just think we have a really good team here that helps."
If you know a first responder, healthcare professional or veteran who is deserving of a spotlight, nominate them here.
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