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Rehabilitation nursing offers challenges and rewards at any career stage

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A Lee Enterprises, Incorporated newspaper. Majority shareholder: David Hoffmann, Hoffmann Media Group.

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Rehabilitation nursing offers challenges and rewards at any career stage

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Across the Madonna Rehabilitation Hospitals system, you’ll find nursing staff in all phases of their careers. Some, like Michaela Aulner, NA, are just starting out. Others, like Jody Luzum, LPN, have been with Madonna for decades.

Aulner chose a pre-med curriculum as a freshman at Northwestern College, in Orange City, Iowa. After graduating magna cum laude in May 2019 with a bachelor of arts in biology, 23-year-old Aulner began applying to medical schools when she felt a calling to switch to nursing. She earned her certified nursing assistant credentials and joined the Lincoln Campus Specialty Hospital in August of 2019.  Her time at Madonna inspired her to start the intensive, one-year Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. She’s working less in hopes she can return full-time to Madonna as a registered nurse.

“Helping patients in the rehabilitation setting is rewarding and my faith aligns with Madonna’s core values,” Aulner said.

Aulner’s compassionate heart is abundantly clear as she interacts with her patients at Madonna. Arthur “Gary” West spent 100 days battling COVID-19. A simple gift from Aulner gave him strength to keep fighting – a shaving kit with a heartfelt note. She said she felt connected to West because her own grandfather, also named Arthur, had died of COVID-19 just before Thanksgiving.

“I felt the Lord prompting me to do something generous for Gary, so I went to Target and bought the shaving kit and dropped it off at the front desk with my note,” Michaela said. “Gary’s razor wasn’t working the best and I remember how my grandpa liked to be clean shaven.”

Aulner said she’s looking forward to being part of hundreds of other patient journeys as she continues to grow in her nursing career. She said she is grateful to be surrounded with role models who exemplify Madonna’s core values every single day.

Jody Luzum knows exactly how Aulner feels. She started her nursing career with Madonna when she was just 18. Luzum began working as a nursing assistant, stroke unit secretary, float LPN, and has had roles in Adult Day Services and Employee Health. She is now an LPN with Employee Health Services. She jokes she has really done it all at Madonna! Now, she’s celebrating 40 years with the organization.

“Madonna is my family,” Luzum said. “I have always loved their values and that they are Christ centered.”

As the organization navigates a global pandemic and an unprecedented vaccine rollout, Luzum said she’s busier than ever. She was central to organized and efficient vaccine clinics for Madonna staff, helping with data entry. If you ask how she’s doing, Luzum is quick to say she’s “living the COVID dream.”

Looking back on her decades-long career, Luzum said she’s stayed at Madonna so long because of the people. It’s allowed her to meet people from all walks of life and from around the world, developing lifelong relationships in the process.

“I always tell new hires that longevity speaks well of any company but especially in healthcare,” Luzum said. “If you are treated well, that speaks volumes about a place.”

Luzum said 40 years have flown by faster than she could have imagined, but not a day has gone by where she didn’t smile or have a “good belly laugh” while at work. When she retires, Luzum said she’ll look back on her career with gratitude and a big smile on her face.

Learn more about a career at Madonna Rehabilitation Hospitals at Madonna.org/nursing/grow-with-us.

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