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Staff Nurse RN, Pediatric Emergency Department
NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem
40 years of service, 38 as RN
“I am caring, compassionate, and can make a lasting impression on patients’ lives.”
Caring for injured children in the Pediatric Emergency Department at NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem, Barbara Brown is the epitome of calm.
“I approach every situation with calmness and I am a good listener,” Browne said. “I treat patients how they want to be treated. I understand their feelings. I establish good relationships with them. I want them to feel better, feel relieved, and get the right care all the time. Families are anxious and very stressed out about test results and other factors. I explain and keep them updated.”
These essential personality traits may be why Browne felt driven to become a nurse.
“I started my nursing career after graduating with my RN degree 38 years ago; at that time, it was a personal calling for me to become a nurse, to help people in need. I was sure that calling was based on my personality. I was inspired by the work of other fellow nurses who I saw at nursing programs.”
“The best moments of my nursing life are when someone waves at me, talks to me and identifies themselves as one of my former patients,” she adds. “I feel elated. The other day, a lady on the train came up to me, and said, ‘You took care of my son; you were so kind.’
“She said her son is now 25 years old. I did not remember her, but she remembered me.”
“Another time, a 29-year-old came to me and said, ‘You took care of me when I was 12,’ and I was speechless,” she noted. “Also, the other day, a little boy on the street waved at me. He was in the ED last week, and I remembered giving him cookies and juice. It’s a good experience. It makes me happy and grateful.”