Tomah mother and daughter continue family tradition in healthcare
They maintain resolve to serve patients after a taxing year for healthcare
TOMAH, Wis. (WKBT) – As COVID-19 infections fall, so does the stress on nurses and doctors. A family in Tomah offers care to their home community.
“That is what I was meant to do,” said Linsey Rezin, a registered nurse at Tomah Health.
Within Tomah Health’s walls, you find people who care.
“You’re taking them to the bathroom, you’re feeding them you’re helping them get dressed,” Jaylin Rezin said, describing her role as a certified nursing assistant.
Nurse Linsey Rezin cared for many patients over the past year and her lifetime. She cared for her grandma before she was in high school after her grandma suffered a stroke.
“Nanna we called her,” Linsey said. “It was challenging because she’d wake me up at all hours of the night with a little whistle to help her to the bathroom and so.”
Her career began and now continues alongside her daughter Jaylin.
“It’s hard playing the mom-daughter role. My husband’s like, ‘You need to remember you’re not mom. You’re a coworker.’”
Jaylin took a job as a CNA last May – right around the time the health-care industry changed.
“At first it was pretty tough because we were already dealing with the pandemic, and it was different than it was going to be for me,” Jaylin said.
Small-town nurses care for their own neighbors.
“We could be sitting next to somebody in church next week who we take care of,” said Tracy Myhre, chief nursing officer at Tomah Health.
During a time when COVID-19 forced people into hospital rooms alone.
“They can’t see their family members,” Jaylin Rezin said. “You’re a lot of times the only person they’re gonna see.”
Jaylin adapted to an overwhelming situation.
“We were at full census a lot,” she said. “It was tough but, I think once we got used to it, it was better.”
Jaylin, who also is a senior at Tomah High School, said, “My mom helped me with a lot of it,” managing school and an important job. “I don’t know if I could’ve done it without her.”
Jaylin makes time for the softball diamond and the volleyball court while keeping her commitment to her patients’ health and hearts.
“I’ve had times where patients hold my hand and they say, ‘Thank you so much for taking care of me. It means the world to me,’” she said. “It honestly makes me feel so good.”
Jaylin is building a foundation toward a future career.
“It does help them understand what it takes to be out in the real world and have a real job,” she said.
She carries a fresh perspective.
“Then I come to work and I see there’s a lot of people who have it a lot worse than I do,” she said.
A noble family tradition continues, offering patients a prescription of connection. The best medicine for people as their hometown and the world heals.
“I feel like a lot of the younger generation is really stepping up especially during the pandemic,” Jaylin Rezin said.
Jaylin plans to attend UW-Madison for its pre-nursing program, with her sights set on becoming a nurse practitioner.
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