CNA Suseela Joseph’s decades of loving care for patients
At Bethany Children’s Health Center, our employees truly are the heartbeat that drives the organization. Every day, through the care and service they provide, they live our mission of maximizing the potential of every child and exemplify our core values of compassion, integrity, excellence, service and stewardship.
We hope you enjoy getting to know our amazing employees through our Heartbeat profiles.
National Career Nursing Assistants Week is the perfect opportunity to highlight the amazing work done by our dedicated CNAs.
Suseela Joseph came to the United States from India in the early 1990’s and began her career at Bethany Children’s Health Center in 1994. She had always dreamed of working with children, whether as a teacher or caregiver. She says that pursuing a career in nursing was a direct, God-given plan for her life.
The role of Suseela and her fellow CNAs at Bethany Children’s is vital to patient care. CNAs handle feeding, bathing, diaper changes, dressing, and grooming. They don/doff splints per the patient schedule, get them up in their wheelchairs, and put them back to bed. They can help with vital signs and are a second pair of eyes for the nurses, helping to monitor patient status.
Now, almost thirty years after becoming a CNA, Suseela is still passionate about her work, saying, “My passion for caring for others and my love for children brought me to Bethany Children’s and has kept me here ever since.”
For Suseela, every day at the Hospital can be a different experience. A typical day starts with receiving a report from the CNA or nurse going off shift, then logging in to check patient worklists and recording each patient’s needs. She starts on bed checks, when she changes and repositions patients, brushes their teeth and fixes their hair for the day.
“Suseela is a pro and will likely have a plan for how she is going to manage her time,” explains Nurse Manager Austin Eaton. “Throughout the day she will get all the feedings, diaper changes, baths, and position changes done on time.” At the end of the day, she will give a report to the oncoming CNA or nurse.”
The job of making sure patients are clean, fed, comfortable and ready for daily therapies is no small task, but Suseela’s outlook is always positive.
“The kids’ smiles make me ready to take on all aspects of the day, unexpected or not,” she says. “I know that God is with all of these children and is using me to bring them light and love,” she says.
Nurse Manager Charissa Fowler says, “The compassion that Suseela has for the patients here definitely shows in her work. Every time I see her, she has a smile on her face.”
Suseela knows that the quality of care she provides is meaningful in her patients’ everyday lives, and shares that every moment with patients over the years, whether big or small, has been memorable for her.
The dedicated team of CNAs plays a key role in optimizing the care, quality of life, and experience for each child at Bethany Children’s. Suseela is grateful to serve alongside this group of caring individuals and says, “Thank you for being a pleasure to serve with, and way to go on being the best!”
Fun Facts
Three words your best friend would use to describe you: Kind, positive and funny
Favorite ways to spend free time: “Shopping, hanging out with my kids and going on walks.”
Favorite TV show: “I Love Lucy”
Favorite food: Italian
If you had one wish, what would it be and why? “I wish I could spend more time with my siblings and family back in India.”
Favorite verse: “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” Proverbs 17:22
From the bucket list: “To visit Israel and tour the Holy Land.”