November 15, 2024

Many caregivers say that their teams feel like family—but we have a mighty contingent of caregivers who are literal family, too. Meet a few of our Providence caregivers who work side-by-side with their own family members.

Siblings in service: Nurse Manager Therese and Lead Food Service Attendant Tom in Portland

Nurse Manager Therese applied to work at Providence because of her older brother and sister, who both worked in the kitchen at Providence Portland Medical Center at the time. “They would rave about Providence and how much they liked it,” says Therese. “That made me very excited to get my first job here—and I’ve never looked back.” She’s now been with the organization for 24 years and laughs as she reports that she “pretty much grew up here.”

Therese’s first job with the organization was with her siblings in the kitchen. She says that’s where she realized two things: what it was like to have a great boss and that nursing was her calling. “I got exposure to nurses while delivering trays to patients,” says Therese. “I asked a ton of questions, and I saw how happy they were with Providence. That sparked my interest in becoming a nurse.”

Therese’s brother, Tom, continues to work in the kitchen, now as Lead Food Service Attendant. Though they have very different roles, Therese says she’s thrilled that their schedules intersect. “I’m able to see him every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. It’s a lot of fun working in the same hospital as my brother. He’s very friendly to everyone and is well liked so it’s nice to be able to tell people we’re family.”

Having her brother onsite is particularly helpful during times of high stress. “One time that stands out for me is during the pandemic,” Therese says. “We come from a large family, and he was the only relative I was able to see in person for about a year. That connection really brought us closer together.”

Generations of care: ED RN Ireland, OR RN Bruce and ICU Resident RN Cherith in Walla Walla

Emergency Department RN Ireland comes from a family of nurses. “My grandmother and two great aunts were nurses, my dad’s a nurse, I became a nurse and so did my sister,” says Ireland. Though the elder generation didn’t work at Providence St. Mary in Walla Walla, Ireland, her father, Bruce, and her sister, Cherith, all do.

“I wanted to work here because of my dad,” Ireland says—but that doesn’t mean she was called to the same specialty. “He wanted me to come to the OR, but it’s a little too quiet for me in there.”

Ireland considers her externship during nursing school a “two-year job interview” which gave her exposure to medical surgical and ICU nursing before ultimately helping her find her dream role. She says, “Once I moved into the ER, I was like, ‘Oh, this is where I fit in.’”

The supportive environment at Providence—and at home thanks to their close-knit family—helped Cherith find her fit, too, in the Intensive Care Unit. After Cherith followed in her sister’s footsteps with her own externship, she started in the St. Mary ICU.

Family or not, Ireland says she’s lifted by her coworkers. “The ER can be tough; patients are at their worst. My team supports me and brings me up. I absolutely love the people that I work with.”

Two mother-daughter duos work together in Santa Rosa

RN Marcea and RN Linda often cross paths with their daughters during their workdays at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital. Says Marcea, “It is telling that we have enjoyed our careers here so much that we encouraged our children to come join us.”

Marcea’s daughter, RN Melissa, transitioned from respiratory therapy into a nursing role in 2023. Linda recruited her own daughter, RN Sara, to join the team, as well. Both moms love having their daughters work nearby.

Twin RNs work in Providence hospitals in Spokane

Sisters Haleigh and Lindsey are both labor and delivery nurses at Providence hospitals in Spokane. Originally from the small town of Curlew, Washington, the twins took different paths to arrive at similar destinations. What they had in common was a desire to serve others and help bring babies into the world.

Consider joining the Providence family of organizations

Are you interested in joining an environment where you’ll be supported by teams and managers as if you’re family? If so, take a look at our job openings across our seven-state footprint. Who knows, you might love it so much, you’ll want to refer your own family members, too.