A member of Glen Oaks Community College’s first LPN (licensed practical nurse) class, Juanita Oldfield went on to have a long career caring for patients in St. Joseph County.
Of Ukrainian descent, Juanita (Zaika) attended Mottville Elementary School and graduated from Constantine High School with the Class of 1950, whose members included the late Dr. Charles Zimont.
Her grandfather was her mentor in her childhood, teaching her to read and write in Ukrainian and Russian. In turn, she served as her grandparents’ interpreter.
“His theory was ‘stand tall, don’t slump, listen to your heart,’” she said.
She worked at Fern’s Restaurant in White Pigeon and Three Rivers Hospital as a nurse’s aide; when she received a flyer in the mail from Glen Oaks about its LPN program, she decided to take a chance.
“It was a great learning experience,” she said. “We were blessed with the best instructors, Mrs. [Joan] Goette, director of nursing, and Lois Munson. They had patience with the 14 students from all walks of life.”
Glen Oaks at the time was a fledgling institution getting its start in the old White Pigeon High School facility.
“I remember the small classrooms at White Pigeon school which served the purpose for us,” she said. “We usually brought our lunch, since up town was a ways. Rooms were chilly. I remember walking down the halls and pictures of those that graduated in the 20s and 30s were there to greet us. I often wondered what happened to all those pictures.”
Her internship in the pediatric unit of Coldwater Children’s Center touched her heart and opened her eyes.
“These children had many crippling issues,” she said, recalling the sadness she encountered when leaving after their twice-weekly visits. “I felt attached, and they too felt it, I’m sure.”
Because Glen Oaks did not have an RN program, after one year working at Three Rivers and Sturgis hospitals, she pursued that degree at Southwestern Michigan College.
Seeking a full-time job, she found none at Three Rivers Hospital, but Three Rivers’ director of nursing phoned up Sturgis Hospital’s director of nursing and Oldfield landed a position that very night.
She worked in all departments at Sturgis Hospital – “whenever anyone needed help. That in itself was a learning experience – I never knew what I would encounter.” Joanie Leny Fisher, whom Oldfield called a great teacher and nurse, was her supervisor and mentor.
Determining there was more to patient care than just medicine, Oldfield began to study massage therapy, beginning a mini massage therapy business at her home. She learned reiki, foot reflexology and healing touch.
Sturgis’ director of nursing, Lee Walton, “was so gracious,” letting her have the time she needed to complete her education in massage for certification. Oldfield returned the favor, working 25.4 years at the hospital, many of them as the house supervisor on the 11 p.m. – 7 a.m. shift.
After retirement, she continued her mini massage business, and still takes continuing education classes to keep up her RN license.
“I’m probably the oldest one in Michigan,” she said.
Oldfield expressed concern that nursing has increasingly become less personal.
“I have seen the value of good nursing care,” she said. “The bedside care. The bed baths, back rubs and foot soaks as part of the ‘healing process,’ to get the patient well and send them home.”
Watching patients left dinner trays with no concern about whether they could cut up the food, or handed “mop rag packages” to wash themselves, reinforced her conviction that nurses’ aides need to return to the workforce.
“Patients also need nurses to be able to sit down and talk, to hold their hand, to explain what’s going on,” she said. “I see all this has left, because of ‘time management’ and computers.”