Each Tuesday, The

Citizen features a health professional from the

Finger Lakes community

in The Banks:

This week, we spotlight Auburn Memorial Hospital's OR charge nurse.

Q. What is the most rewarding part of your job?

A. The wonderful opportunity to meet such interesting people.

Q. What is the most challenging?

A. Running a daily 35 plus case schedule, trying to keep everyone “happy” and run a smooth ship.

Q. Describe your ideal patient.

A. Each patient is ideal, but the elderly patients are the best. They are a wealth of past information.

Q. What is the best piece of advice you could give someone to stay healthy?

A. Take good care of yourself. Remember there is only one of you. Eat a well, balanced diet, exercise and most of all be happy.

Q. What's the most common misconception you hear from patients?

A. That they “might” talk about something “special” when they are under the anesthesia!

Q. For someone considering a career like yours, what advice would you offer?

A. If it is in your heart to become a nurse - go for it. We need caring individuals, so if you know in your heart you helped someone in a special way return to good health, you should choose the medical profession.

Q. What's your ideal cure for the common cold?

A. Homemade chicken soup.

Q. If you could select anyone in the world to be your next patient, who would they be?

A. It would have to be a patient waiting for an organ donation. It would be wonderful to follow a special patient like this and see them return to optimal health.

Q. Despite being in the health care field, people would probably be surprised that when I'm off the job, I _________.

A. Am a musician. I would love to be able to play the pipe organ in a cathedral somewhere.