A Heart for Healing: Q&A with Pre-Op Charge Nurse Denikka Lee
Earlier this week, Petera Diaban, Director of Marketing and Communications, sat down with Denikka Lee, Charge Nurse in the Pre-Op Unit. Together, they kicked their feet up and peeled back the layers as Petera discovered what ignites Denikka's passion for nursing, the joy she experiences in her role, and what keeps her heart beating for patient care.
Get ready for a light-hearted conversation filled with insights, laughter, and a deeper appreciation for the amazing things nurses do every day. Let's dive in!
Petera: What called you to the field of nursing?
Denikka: I would say my own personal health experience. A lot of people don't know I have a rare heart condition, so I've had several surgeries. I've had a number of procedures and extensive hospital stays. I think what makes me, I wouldn't say a better nurse, but an extraordinary nurse is that I have been in the patients' shoes. So a lot of things that they're feeling, the feelings of fear and confusion, I'm able to connect with them on that aspect. And, I'm also able to help them.
Petera: How many years have you been a nurse?
Denikka: I started my career as an LPN in 2019, so overall I would say it would be 4 years and I've been at New Orleans East Hospital for 2 years.
Petera: Tell me a little bit about your nursing career that led you to the role of Charge Nurse.
Denikka: Yes, I began in a hospital as a scheduler. As I was doing that, a nurse told me I was doing a great job and encouraged me to go to school and pursue a degree as a medical assistant. So, I thought about it and decided to enroll in school for that.
Then, I became a medical assistant and a scheduler. And a doctor was like, you know, you're selling yourself short, you should go for nursing. So, I applied for Charity School of Nursing. It's a very competitive program, so the first two times I wasn’t accepted. My grades were good, but spaces were limited. So, I did the accelerated LPN program instead. Once I finished, I started working as an LPN, and I immediately was accepted to RN program at Charity School of Nursing when I reapplied.
As an LPN, I worked in orthopedics for a hand surgeon. Also, I worked at Children's Hospital, so I did pediatrics for a year. And then that's when I came to New Orleans East Hospital. So I came with quite a bit of experience and was promoted to Charge Nurse of the Pre-op unit.
Petera: Tell us about one of your favorite memories being here at New Orleans East Hospital.
Denikka: I would say, it's with patient care, of course, helping with the patients. There are so many moments when the patient says something good about me like, “Oh you really made me feel better,” or “You were there for me.” For instance, we had a patient that was here for a procedure, but she was having symptoms of a serious illness. I informed the doctor saying I think she may be having a myocardial infarction because of these symptoms. The doctor listened to me and we reacted quickly by taking appropriate action.
So when I was in a room with her, I stayed by her side. She was so scared. She was like, “Oh, thank you. I'm so nervous.” And, she kept asking, “Are you going to be with me?” All my patients always say, “I wish you could stay by my side during the whole process.”
It feels fulfilling to know how my patients feel about me. I tell my director often that when I leave the hospital, I really do feel like I make a difference every day.
Petera: What do you love most about nursing?
Denikka: With other jobs, you know, you may go to work, you do your job, but do you really feel like you're getting rewarded other than by your paycheck?
I feel like with nursing, you work so hard to become a nurse. You went to school, you graduated. And then the reward of it is you get to show up every day. You get to say every day, I'm a nurse. So I feel like that is the reward versus other jobs that you can have. In nursing, you're touching so many lives every day. And, I appreciate it.
Petera: What is your wish this holiday season?
Denikka: Everyone knows I love my kids. I have three children ages 19, 9, and 6. I would say my wish this holiday season is for my kids to be happy and enjoy this Christmas. Because when I was in nursing school recently- I just graduated earlier this year with the RN degree- my children made a lot of sacrifices for me to succeed and graduate. So, this year my wish is that this Christmas will be more fulfilling for them than last Christmas. I want my children to see that the sacrifices made a difference, and it was worth it.