Loron Oster
Nurse Leader

Background

I earned my BSN at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center School of Nursing, Denver, CO. I arrived in Rochester after working in public health, teaching and on an ICU. I received my Geriatric Nursing Certification in 2007—a proud moment!!

Time at Highland Hospital

I joined the staff at Highland Hospital in 1989. I've worked in larger hospitals, but I love the culture here. It's easy to know people from different departments and levels and to interact with them. 

Career Path at Highland Hospital

When I came to Highland, many doors opened for me. I started in the Float Pool and between that and jobs on multiple units, I've worked in every area at Highland Hospital except the OR. I've been with the Alternate Level of Care and Acute Medical Detox Unit since 2003.

My Dominant Personality Traits

I've learned to be a good listener. I take the time to hear what my patients have to say and sometimes that's as important as everything else I do for them. I've found that when I listen to patients in a non-judgmental way, they'll show me their strengths. I'm passionate about taking care of this patient population—folks that others may see as off-putting or unwanted. It is my ministry. Our unit was created to extend the continuum-of-care for these people, but limitations still exist in the community. I let patients know about those limitations and help them do the best we can to overcome them.

About the ALC and Acute Medical Detox Unit

This is an exciting and challenging unit. Our patients are diverse and have a wide range of medical and behavioral needs. 

Our ALC patients are those who no longer require acute care but still need nursing care of the highest level to keep them moving toward health and discharge to rehab, long-term care, hospice, a nursing or assisted living setting, or home.   

Our detox patients range from young adult to the elderly and are from all walks of life. They often have co-occurring mental health and complex medical diagnoses. We assess withdrawal and help them marshal the strength to want to get better and get back to a normal life. We try to help people with their hopes and dreams. I think we work miracles here. 

Working here allows me to combine my love of bedside nursing, problem solving, teaching and mentoring staff and patients. I work with a care team representing lots of health team members and we collaborate to help folks heal. We have time to approach the patient as a "whole person" and develop relationships with each to best tailor a plan for success.

Our staff is remarkable. Everyone has an open mind and we're all supportive of one another. You're able to speak your mind and get respect. If one of us sees something that we think would work with a patient, we can usually get the team to buy in on it. We feel empowered to make a difference and a lot of good happens because of the nurses.