Ohio’s Hospice of Dayton RN Care Manager Jeanne McAleer was among the outstanding nurses recently honored at the Wright State University Miami Valley College School of Nursing Cameos of Caring® Awards.

When asked to describe Jeanne, colleagues say she is “always willing to help,” “always a team player,” and “always there when needed.”  Teammates and families alike praise Jeanne for being an advocate for her team, her patients, and the families that she serves on a daily basis.  Jeanne is selfless with her service to the Ohio’s Hospice of Dayton mission of celebrating the lives of the patients and families that we have the privilege of serving every day.

For thirty-years, Jeanne has been serving her communities as a Registered Nurse.  Jeanne graduated from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with her Bachelor’s in Nursing Science in 1983.  Immediately following graduation, Jeanne began her nursing career in a Medical-Surgical unit at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Chicago, Illinois.  During her years as a medical-surgical nurse, Jeanne went to school in the evenings and earned her Master’s Degree in Healthcare Management from DePaul University in Chicago in 1986.  Jeanne went on to work on an orthopedic floor and picked up extra work as a home-health nurse, which is where she developed her love for geriatric nursing.  A year after graduation, Jeanne began her role as a Director of Nursing in a long-term care facility, where she served for three years, prior to moving to Dayton, Ohio.

Jeanne’s move to Dayton brought new opportunities.  Her love for teaching allowed her the privilege of working at the Kettering Adult School where she wrote the class syllabus and teaching plan for patient aides to become state tested and certified.  Jeanne speaks of this time with honor and pride stating, “I loved the fact that they were professionalizing the patient aide career and that I was teaching adults that actually wanted to be there and learn.”

Following her stint at Kettering Adult School, Jeanne was offered and accepted the role of Director of Nursing at a new long-term care facility, Walnut Creek, in Dayton. When she started, they didn’t have one patient or one policy in place. Jeanne was given the opportunity of writing policies, procedures, and hiring additional staff as the facility grew.

Jeanne took 9 years off from nursing to raise her family, before returning to the field as an RN Care Manager for Ohio’s Hospice of Dayton in 2007.  This year marks Jeanne’s tenth year serving the Ohio’s Hospice of Dayton mission, and it is evident by the cards, letters of recognition, and award nominations that Jeanne is a compassionate and empathetic caregiver. “No two people live alike,” Jeanne notes. “And, in my current position in Ohio’s Hospice of Dayton, no two people die the same way.” She learns from her patients: “They’ve come to the end of their life, and they have so much knowledge—I call them ‘pearls of wisdom.’” Jeanne says every day serving patients is a reward in and of itself. “You are helping people every day, and in how many professions can you say that?”

Pictured above (l to r)  are Ohio’s Hospice of Dayton personal care specialists Jessica Owens and Leslie Lindsey, Vice President of Patient Care Yvonne Turner, Team Leader Beth Nease, Cameos of Caring recipient Jeanne McAleer, and President Mary Murphy.