By: Bill Mayfield, Communications Intern
Sister Paula Rose Jauernig has been a member of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth for 62 years and loves her ministry of nursing and teaching. Her small frame does not stop her from being very active, still running five miles a day. She has a vibrant spirit, with a smile on her face and is all about helping people. Sister Paula Rose spends many of her days at Saint John Hospital in Leavenworth teaching the nurses of the future.
There have been many times when Sister Paula Rose’s professional life and faith life have intersected. As a nurse, she has to use her hands to heal people and, at the same time, say a prayer for them. She ministered as an in-home nurse, helping dying patients and consulting families on the loss of their loved ones. Once, she witnessed a miracle when one of her patients was pronounced dead but came back to life and enjoyed one last hour with her children.
As she prepares nurses for the future, she gives a few pieces of advice for anyone who wants to follow a similar path as her. “Be true, be honest, and know as a nurse this a profession, but it’s also a vocation. For the rest of your life, you are dealing with people, not things or machines, but people. The biggest thing you can do is be quiet and listen; they’ll tell you what they want, and if they don’t, then ask, ‘What can I do for you?'”
