Swap Shop

20 SOUTHERN SENIOR MAGAZINE | Fall 2023 Mrs. Ella Mae Penton, RN, BSN, MSN, is a Re- tired Nurse and has lived in Pearl River County for almost her entire life. She was born in Picayune and lived in Steep Hollow until her fa- ther moved to Korea because of his military service. She moved back to Pearl River County as a child in 1973 and has stayed since then. Mrs. Penton graduated from Nursing School in 1985 at the age of 31. She served as a nurse at Methodist Hospital in New Orleans East, Crosby Memorial Hospital in Picayune (in the ER and also taught Ambulance & Pre-Hospital training to paramedics), Slidell Memorial Hospital, Han- cock Medical Center in Hancock County, and then taught Nursing at Pearl River Community College for over a decade. Mrs. Penton was married to Denny Wayne Pen- ton (of Penton Well Service) for 35 years before he passed away in 2009. When I asked her to begin thinking about what she thinks Retired Nurses would like the community to know about them, she sat down a few days later and wrote this beautifully poignant letter. My Dear Pearl River County, I worked as a nurse for thirty-five years, spend- ing half of that time as an Emergency Depart- ment Nurse. Later, to slow down, I taught at the Associate Degree Nursing School Program at PRCC, for 12 years. Of course, before that, while working as a nurse, I went back to school to get an MSN in order to teach. I retired at 60 years old with Mississippi State Retirement. Nursing is a generous profession. Nurses do- nate their lives to caring for sick, disabled and often addicted patients. When a nurse retires, she/he is still a nurse. You find yourself retired, but still caring and nurturing the way you always have. The difference is the people you now nur- ture are family and friends. Nurses put them- selves last and often do not realize that the compassion they show others stops at their front door. People who know you will call to ask med- ical questions, which you gladly answer. It is someone to talk to as a nurse! Retirement should give you a whole new life that allows you to slow down. It should free you up to take care of your own healthcare. However, you find yourself happily babysitting grandchildren. You do not spend much time with friends your age, because many are still working. An article in the American College of Nursing (AACN) reports “that there will be a growing shortage of Regis- tered Nurses across the country between 2009- 2030.” Part of this shortage is the amount of nurses retiring. Many older nurses work past re- tirement age to stand in the nursing shortage gap. Many do not do this for financial reasons, but for the need for nurses, and for their need to care for patients. This brings me back to my retirement. I babysit because I love my grandchildren, & because it helps their working parents. I do this because I am still a nurse and have a need to take care of someone! Sincerely, Ella Mae Penton What I Want the Community to Know About Retired Nurses By: Ella Mae Penton; Edited By: Beth Lindsey S