Being a nurse is a very rewarding job but at the same time can be very challenging,  according to Mohawk Valley Nursing Home nurse Clara Lidano.
Lidano recently celebrated 50 years as a nurse, over 30 of those years was at Mohawk Valley Nursing Home.
Nurses across the country are getting recognized this week as it is National Nurses Week.
Lidano graduated from St. Elizabeth School of Nursing about 50 years ago. She worked at the Utica Psychiatric Center for nine years. She also stayed home for 10 years to raise her children.
It was right after high school when Lidano decided she wanted to be a nurse, and to this day she still loves nursing.
“I like my job,” Lidano said. “To see the progress people make in rehab is very rewarding for me.”
Lidano also said that she has seen many changes since she has been a nurse. She used to have to wear a white cap as a nurse and everything was glass, which is now plastic and medical utensils are now disposable.
“Even throughout the years the motto for Mohawk Valley Nursing Home has been the same, ‘promise to care’ and that’s what we do,” she said.
As for the newcomers in nursing, Lidano says she feels that they look at nursing the same was as she does.
“I think people want to genuinely give care,” Lidano said. “Things have changed over the years. We want to give quality care but it’s more difficult now because sometimes there are such a shortage of nurses.”
She says she wishes more people would want to go into nursing.
“The need is there and you’ll never be without a job,” Lidano said.
Even with that 50 years as a nurse, Lidano says she has done everything she’s wanted to.
“I had a husband, children, and grandchildren,” Lidano said. “I consider myself lucky.”
Lidano still hasn’t given thought to retiring, even though many people have asked her that.
“When the time comes to retire, I will,” she said.
Lidano’s staff at the Mohawk Valley Nursing Home threw her a party a couple weeks ago for her 50 years.
“I work with an amazing staff here,” Lidano said. “I never expected them to make such a big deal out of it.”
The CEO of Mohawk Valley Nursing Home, Ralph Reid, stated, “Clara Lidano embodies what it means to be a registered nurse and promotes the highest standards of excellence in Mohawk Valley Nursing Home’s nursing practice. Her genuine dedication, integrity, and sincerity are always evident, and she’s an outstanding role model for her co-workers. Residents, families and staff members alike greatly respect and admire Clara, and we are proud to have her as a nurse manager at Mohawk Valley Nursing Home.”
Lidano said she is proud of the reputation she has created within the Mohawk Valley Nursing Home and is very modest about the impact she has at the home.
Director of Rehabilitation Services, Jim Walczak, commented, “I have worked closely with Clara for many years and know that she is an extraordinary nurse who is professional, compassionate and caring at all times. She takes the time to reach out to residents, develops relationships with them, and truly ‘makes a difference every day’ in their lives. This is the ultimate measure of success for Clara as a nurse, which we all greatly respect her for.”
Lidano concludes by saying, “It’s been a long road, but a good one.”