Cramped apartments, amazing skyline views; train delays, a city that never sleeps; suffocating crowds, neighborhoods bursting with cultural diversity – New York City is a place of extremes and our lifestyles and careers are often shaped and impacted by its unique benefits and challenges. For NYC homecare nurses, the adage “There’s No Place Like Home” rings especially true as the communities where they live and work have an enormous impact on the way they deliver care to the city’s most vulnerable populations.

May 6th through 12th is National Nurses Week, a time set aside to recognize the men and women who dedicate their lives to the field of nursing. When we think of a “nurse,” we often can’t help conjuring up an image from the ‘40s—a young woman in a white dress and hat embroidered with a red cross, handing a patient a paper cup of pills at a hospital. Many people may not realize the lengths nurses go for their patients, especially homecare nurses—those who help patients recover from an illness or injury, regain or maintain independence, and manage conditions outside of a hospital or nursing home. And when a city is such a part of the fabric of its residents’ lives, adapting care delivery to each community’s unique ecosystem is especially important.

Like Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing, and Lillian Wald, the first public health nurse and founder of Visiting Nurse Service of New York (VNSNY), nurses agree that homecare in NYC is one of the most rewarding vocations imaginable, and there’s no place they would rather do it.

In hopes of shedding light on all local nurses do, here are some insights that provide a “window in” to the job and the passion of VNSNY homecare nurses across all five boroughs of NYC, Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester counties.

Providing care on a patient’s own terms
One thing that makes homecare nurses unique is that they are seeing patients in their home environments—on their own turf and in their daily lives—which allows them to care for “the whole patient,” not just their an acute physical condition.

“I absolutely love my patients—I love seeing people in their own homes and their own environment,” said Kathleen Wendt, a VNSNY Acute Care RN who has been with the organization for more than 15 years and works in Manhattan. “It’s so much different from a hospital because you’re seeing them on their terms and you see the challenges they face in daily life.”

Alicia Schwartz, an RN and Care Coordinator with VNSNY CHOICE  Health Plans, echoes that point, saying, “When we coordinate care for people in their homes, in their natural habitat, we become aware of things that impact them on many levels. We see how they socialize, we hear about the world they live in. It’s not just the illness, it’s everything else in their environment too.”

Cindy Vona, a VNSNY Acute Care RN in Queens, adds that being a homecare nurse allows her to advocate for her patients more easily and cut through the complications of the healthcare system to provide quality service.

“The best thing about a homecare nurse is that they are YOUR advocate,” she says. “For many patients, especially older ones, it can be intimidating to get your doctor on the phone and ask questions or explain what you need help with. Part of our job as homecare nurses is to cut through the red tape of health care and help our patients with the basics of recovery in the comforts of their home.”

Serving the communities they grew up in
Since homecare nurses are bringing care into communities, it’s special when they return to their hometowns and can draw on their personal experiences to relate to their patients and their environments. 

Schwartz was born in the Bronx and fell in love with nursing when she was a young girl there. “I’ve been in love with nursing since the seventh grade,” she said. “Somehow, I just discovered that I wanted to help people that way. When you hold someone’s hand and look in their eyes, you can see how you’ve helped. Nursing is not just about curing a disease, it’s about curing the soul as well.”

Today, she coordinates care for frail, elderly and chronically ill New Yorkers from the Bronx to Brooklyn. She spent more than a decade walking throughout upper Manhattan and the Bronx visiting homebound VNSNY CHOICE members and now is the friendly nurse-on-the-phone who checks in with them regularly to make sure they’re safe and living comfortably and independently in their own homes.

Vincent (“Vinny”) Brigande, a VNSNY RN on Staten Island who has been a nurse for 31 years, also finds it rewarding to work in the community he was raised in. “I work in the zip code right where I grew up and it’s very special because I have a bond to that area,” he said. “I often see people I knew as a little boy or from the community—I’ve taken care of several parents of people I went to school with.”

“When there is that connection of working in the community where I grew up, it makes it a great experience for the patient and for myself also,” he continued, “You know the area, you know the community, you know the geography, you know what’s going on in the town…you also know all the good places to eat!”

Embracing diversity and advocating for patients of all backgrounds
Working in New York, especially in the metropolitan area, homecare nurses get to serve a diverse population—and it’s often what they love most about their job.

“We see people from lots of different cultures, and every day I learn something new from someone,” says Starace. “Since we are going into someone’s home we need to be mindful and respectful of their cultural differences. Sharing food, for example, is very important in some cultures as a sign of mutual respect – I’ve learned to gracefully accept a cup of tea or someone’s special food offering – to build trust and share gratitude. It works both ways.”

Patricia Kilroy, a VNSNY RN serving the Westchester area, finds the same is also true further upstate.

“I serve such a diverse population,” she says, “From the Wall Street executive in multimillion dollar homes in Rye, Larchmont and Mamaroneck, to the uninsured immigrant population living in substandard housing in Port Chester.”

Teams you can rely on
Everyone can agree that having colleagues who are reliable and willing to go the extra mile to support each other is essential for a fulfilling and successful career. This is true for nurses as well—and working together in a city like ours creates a special bond and understanding between nurses.

“We have a fantastic group of educated, multilingual staff in Westchester,” says Kilroy. “It’s a strong cohesive group who have such passion and commitment to serve our patients, even when faced with travel difficulties, adverse weather conditions, and staff shortages.”

Wendt feels the same.

“My team is incredible—I call them ‘the magnificent seven,’” she says. “We all work together and support each other so much.”

“If I’m overwhelmed, someone else on team will go see a patient for me—if I’m out in the field and they’re in the office, they’ll bring me a supply that I need. Everyone is always happy to help and with a smile. It’s amazing to feel so incredibly supported and appreciated.” 

True love of the job
One thing every interviewed homecare nurse had in common, was an undying passion for their jobs.

“Nurses make a gift of themselves every day,” Brigande said. “They give themselves to somebody who’s in need, sometimes a perfect stranger. When we make a gift of ourselves to others, we, as nurses, grow and become the person we were created to be. Sometimes patients do more for us than we do for them.”

Schwartz feels the same. “Patients say thank you all the time, but I’m not a nurse because of that—just knowing you helped—that’s it.

“One gentleman I cared for several years ago is an Alzheimer’s patient who speaks very little these days. I hadn’t seen him for several years, but we bumped into each other recently by chance, and as soon as he saw me, his face lit up and he called out my name.

“That’s what I love most about nursing—knowing I’ve made a difference.”

As we celebrate National Nurses Week this May, and beyond, take a moment to thank a nurse for their love and dedication to their patients and their community.