Webster defines a nurse as someone who cares for the sick, injured or aged, but the job description of today’s nurse is a lot more complex.

They are master communicators, efficiently dispensing medication, advice and directions, following the orders of physicians and meeting the needs of patients, families and visitors. They are advocates at the bedside, giving the patient a voice when they cannot speak.

They may deliver a sandwich or fluff a pillow, but they are also computer whizzes, mastering and updating medical records as needed. Some of them direct hospital traffic, deciding what patient goes where and when. They know how to insert tubes, give vaccines, take your blood pressure and respond to an emergency. They’re the kind of people you’d want as a neighbor and have been known to stop on the freeway to give CPR to a stranger.

At NorthBay Healthcare, they may turn up in surprising places, with roles in human resources, technology and even licensing. They manage complex services such as neurology and cardiovascular. Others focus on helping patients with complex cases navigate the system. Still others see patients in our Specialty and Center for Primary Care facilities.

NorthBay Healthcare has more than 800 nurses who define compassionate care in a nonprofit organization that believes in delivering advanced medicine, close to home. We couldn’t do it without them.

In this issue of Wellspring, it’s our honor to share their stories, their mission, their dreams and accomplishments.