WORCESTER—Their paths to nursing at the Family Health Center of Worcester (FHCW) could not have been more different. But Mary Piecewicz, RN, and Dawn Perry, LPN, agree the Center gives them opportunities to make an impact beyond what traditional hospital settings would allow.
They were among the dozens of nurses at FHCW honored during Nurses Week (May 6-12) who help patients across departments ranging from maternal and child health to behavioral, primary care and LGBTQ+ services.
Piecewicz has been a nurse with the chronic illnesses team for five years, working with women of child-bearing age living with HIV and their families as well as patients with hepatitis, infectious diseases and chronic comorbidities
Perry has worked at FHCW for more than 19 years, working her way up to team lead nurse.
Prior to nursing, Piecewicz, who grew up in Lynn, Mass. and Chicago, Illinois, earned a bachelor of science degree in exercise physiology from George Washington University.
Her career fields before turning to nursing included positions in medical software, information technology and real estate and as a consultant/trainer in yoga, skin care/wellness products, nutrition, public speaking, organization/design and sustainable kitchen and cleaning tools.
Piecewicz believes her varied background is incorporated into her work now as she is often called upon to handle “complex concepts,” with patients, many of whom are refugees experiencing trauma.
“I like being an educator, liaison, a presenter and contributor to growth and change,” she said. “I care about people and our effect on each other.”
She earned her RN degree from Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital School of Nursing in 2018.
Piecewicz said the most rewarding aspect of nursing is the ability to contribute to underserved, vulnerable individuals with a range of needs, including social/emotional factors.
“So I’m the conduit…to help them navigate issues one person at a time,” Piecewicz continued. “Bringing healthier ways of living (to patients) is immensely satisfying.”
Piecewicz said she respects people’s ability to “dig themselves out” of difficult circumstances with a bit of aid and often thinks, “what is one small thing I can do to direct them to find stability and comfort?’”
There are many pieces to taking care of a population ranging in age from birth to 80, she noted, whether it is convincing them to stick to a treatment plan, take medications, advising on food choices and stress reduction or finding resources for things like transportation or immigration challenges.
“The key to building trust (with patients) is finding similarities from our perceived differences,” she said. “The goal is helping patients become healthier in their overall lives.”
Piecewicz said her rounds in nursing school directed her away from a floor nurse position at a hospital to FHCW’s wholistic services under one roof.
“It is a health care home. Every day, someone brings to me things I have to figure out,” Piecewicz said, “Every day, there is something to learn and I get to grow from it.”
Of FHCW, she added, “It is a warm, respectful environment and uplifting space.”
Her niece recently joined her to work with the refugee team and now wants to become a nurse too.
Perry grew up in Vietnam and moved to Worcester at age 17. After stopping school at age 12, she was not willing to start her education in the U.S. as a seventh grader. Instead, she “made it through high school,” although learning English was difficult.
What she had was a lifelong desire to become a nurse. To achieve that goal, Perry started taking classes at Becker College but had to drop out because of a family situation.
After marriage, a child and divorce, Perry said beginning a career took time because of financial constraints. Nonetheless, she eventually became certified as a medical assistant and began an apprenticeship at FHCW, where she had once been a patient.
She was attracted to the fact the Center helped people new to the area and country.
What followed Perry’s internship was a full-time medical assistant position where she remained for about seven years. She also got married and had a baby.
When she began taking pre-requisite courses at Quinsigamond College, she had her son, now a high school student, at the forefront of her mind.
“I wanted to prove to him, `you can do it. Don’t give up your dream’ and show that I want him to go on with his education,” Perry said.
Pursuing college for nursing, with a one-year gap away from FHCW, Perry became an LPN and returned to the Center after graduation. She works in a leadership role for the primary care department.
“It is rewarding because I can provide care for the whole family… I may see Mom while I am seeing the baby all under one roof,” she said.
She is also able to speak to patients in Vietnamese, which is helpful.
“The best part is providing education to people and seeing their eyes brighten when they understand what you say,” Perry noted.
With a diagnosis, Perry said she wants to ensure patients grasp the condition they have and “what they can do in order to live a better life.”
On the flip side, Perry said the most difficult part of being a nurse is realizing there are limitations.
“I try to put myself in their shoes and I can only do so much to help them,” Perry said.
As an example, she referred to a 59-year-old patient who was about to be evicted and asked for help.
“What can I do? As a nurse, I can only do so much…It is tough to go home with that,” she said.
Perry also spoke about feeling badly when she sees patients waiting out in the cold at bus stops, as another example.
But at the end of the day, nursing brings her joy, Perry said.
“I think, `I did what I could to help today,’” she added. And FHCW is unique in that it serves all populations and has interpreters either in person or online for 43 different languages.
This month, she completed the Community Health Management certificate program at Suffolk University.
Susan Gonsalves is currently editor-in-chief of a mental health trade journal and a freelance writer/editor specializing in education, medical/health and business. She previously worked at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and has contributed to publications at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and College of the Holy Cross. At the Worcester Telegram, she covered the town of Leicester and wrote for Business Matters. She can be reached at smgedit@comcast.net
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