By KEVIN CHIRI

Editor and Publisher

LAPLACE – Much of the teaching for those in the medical profession is to be wary of becoming too emotionally attached to your patients.

Susan Austin sees it a little differently.

&#8220I know some of the teaching suggests we do it that way, but I think it’s OK to be emotionally attached. If you see them as just a patient, you will never see them as a person, and I want all of the patients I take care of to know I have feelings for them as another human,” she said.

Those attributes as an ICU nurse at River Parishes Hospital (RPH) were celebrated this week as Austin was named the 2007 &#8220Nurse of the Year” in a special ceremony hosted by RPH.

Nominated by one of her peers, it was said of Austin &#8220nursing is not just a job to Sue, but a career she has dedicated her life to.”

Austin works in an area of the hospital that has its share of patients who don’t make it, and she admits that dealing with patient deaths is always the toughest thing.

&#8220It’s never easy to see someone die, but as I get older, it’s not as devastating as when I began since I know we will all die sometime. For me, the best thing I can do is to make things as comfortable as possible for patients and their families in that time,” she said.

But Austin said it is the many success stories that motivates her, since the vast majority of patients coming through the ICU not only get better, but many do so when things don’t appear too optimistic.

&#8220We see a lot of people who don’t think they will make it, and then they come in months later to see us, and are doing much better,” she said. &#8220That is a great feeling to know you helped them like that.”

Austin said she never thought she would be a nurse, even though her mother and grandmother were both in the profession.

&#8220I always said I didn’t want to be a nurse, but finally I tried it, and found that I loved it. I guess it runs in our blood,” she said with a quiet laugh.

Starting at the Lindy Boggs Hospital in New Orleans 20 years ago, she began a rotation that included working at River Parishes 15 years ago, then went full time at RPH two years ago.

&#8220I just love this profession since it is challenging, yet emotionally satisfying as well,” she said. &#8220And I also love passing on what I know to younger nurses, and hopefully helping them to become better.”

She admitted that the weekend and holiday work were some of the negatives, as is the ever growing crunch in the health care field from corporations facing budgetary concerns. But she said salaries have increased for nurses substantially since she has started, and ultimately, it is the effect on lives that keeps her going.

She said that two of her fondest memories out of the many patients she cared for were actually a young boy, and a middle age man who died.

&#8220We had a 17-year-old boy who came in here diagnosed with leukemia, and he was in and out of here over a couple of years. I got to know the family really well and even went to their house. I definitely got emotionally connected to them, and it was hard when he died since I was still young. But I know it was good to let them see how much I cared for them,” she said.

Then there was a 35-year-old man who came to the hospital with breathing problems, and found out he had lung cancer. Only 35 years old, he had a wife and 10-month-old baby, but knew his days were few.

&#8220He died in only four months, but we spent time video taping him with the baby so they would have lots of memories,” she recalled. &#8220That’s another time that we just had to get emotionally attached, but I think it was a good thing.”

As for winning the &#8220Nurse of the Year” award, which was a surprise announcement in an outside luncheon before a crowd of RPH nurses, she said it was certainly unexpected.

&#8220I really was shocked,” she said. &#8220I kept wanting to go inside to eat, but they told me to stay. It’s very nice to be recognized like this.”

A resident of Luling, Austin is married with one child.