Pre-Op Holding staff nurse travels to Jerusalem with Hadassah Nurses and Allied Health Professionals Council

Pre-Op Holding staff nurse Phyllis Garr, BSN, RN, recently returned from Jerusalem where she took part in Hadassah’s 100^th National Convention.

Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, is a volunteer organization that inspires a passion for and commitment to the land, the people and the future of Israel. Through education, advocacy and youth development, and its support of medical care and research at Hadassah Medical Organization, Hadassah enhances the health and lives of people in Israel, the United States and worldwide.

Garr took part in the convention as part of the Nurses and Allied Health Professionals Council, who’s mission it is to work together to mentor, support and empower one another to help heal our world. As part of the trip, Garr joined her fellow Council members for a firsthand experience at Hadassah Ein Kerem—the 700-bed tertiary-care center that houses over 28 buildings with more than 130 departments and clinics and serves as a national referral center for complex and challenging medical cases. She also had the opportunity to tour the city of Jerusalem and see sites such as Masada, the Old City and the Western wall, and discover more about her Jewish heritage.

“As I was planning my trip, I had some anxiety and fear at first because it was a new experience—a new place and new people,” says Garr. “But then, I reflected on the teachings of one of my favorite theorists, Patricia Benner, who explains the stages of learning in our nursing careers as we go from novice to expert. I was a novice in this situation, just as I was when I began my nursing career, but, as I put one foot in front of the other, those feelings were replaced by an inner warmth. Everyone I met through Hadassah has embraced me and I will always be grateful for this amazing experience!”

For Garr, the trip was most impactful because it gave her a chance to reflect on her long career as a nurse and her commitment to life-long learning. She met the nurses at Hadassah Ein Kerem, where a plaque near the main entrance reads “Inside these walls we are all the same.” “I listened to each and every one and learned their roles. They all spoke about how important it is to care for each other, which promotes retention. I saw their passion as they talked about their patients,” she says.

Published 1/23/23