Manou Jean ’17
The compassionate side of nursing Is unique
“Definitely nursing is for me. The compassionate side of it is so unique.” – Manou Jean ‘17
Sometimes when Manou Jean, R.N. ’17 is working at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center she can hear her former Caldwell nursing professors with their instructions. “I literally visualize them,” said Jean, who works as a registered nurse and sometimes as a charge nurse in the medical surgery unit with telemetry and colorectal surgery patients. Her education in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program at Caldwell gave her a solid foundation that she draws on today. Jean recalls how at the end of her nursing studies she knew she was prepared to enter the workforce. “I felt ready when I passed my boards … they really teach you to become a real nurse on the floor.”
This academic year she is excited to be an adjunct at Caldwell, working with the next group of nurses. In August, she started teaching “Fundamentals of Nursing,” guiding students in their clinicals in the medical surgical unit at Hackensack Medical Center. “Helping them grow in their nursing careers is an honor.”
Jean’s interest in nursing was piqued as a child growing up in Haiti. Her grandmother had dementia and she would take care of her. Her mother’s friends’ children went into nursing. “I was in the background,” said Jean. People recognized in her a loving, caring side. “Definitely nursing is for me. The compassionate side of it is so unique.”
Right after graduation from Caldwell she worked with the elderly at Care One in Madison, New Jersey, and then at the Atrium in Livingston. It’s a population she loves. “They have many co-morbidities and need a lot of attention. It is important to see the person as a whole … you have to think outside the box,” be there for them and love them when they are in such a vulnerable state, said Jean, who holds a Master of Science degree in nursing with a family nurse practitioner concentration from Walden University.
Acknowledging that it has been a tough three years for nurses since the pandemic began, Jean sees the critical need for men and women who are eager to become nurses and nursing faculty. “We have to be there for those who need us … we just have to put our nurse’s hat on and move on because that is what we do. Regardless of how difficult it is, we still keep going; we still provide the same compassionate, loving … quality care for our patients.”
Nursing is a fulfilling career that she encourages others to consider. “I always say nursing is my life. Regardless of how hard it can be … my love for it is more than whatever challenge I could face.”