Behind the Mask Stacey Rush
Stacey Rush is a registered nurse and director of Patient Experience at Washington Health System Washington Hospital.
She has worked at the hospital for 22 years, primarily in Surgical Services-PACU. Rush has spent the past year in Patient Experience.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Rush has taken on many roles because the hospital’s volunteer patient advocates were temporarily not permitted in the hospital.
One of the biggest was managing the hospital’s Clothes Closet, which provides clothing to patients who come into the hospital without any clothing to leave in.
The hospital typically goes through about 300 items a year, including sweat pants, sweat shirts and T-shirts. In the past two months, the Clothes Closet has donated 184 items to patients in order for them to leave the hospital with clothing, comfort and dignity.
Rush is a graduate of Trinity High School, and received her RN bachelor’s of science in nursing from Waynesburg College.
She operates a small farm on which she and her family raise animals. Rush, her daughter and her sister are beekeepers. She also enjoys gardening, canning, hunting, woodworking and home remodeling.
A former 4-H mom, Rush currently has a horse, pony, donkey, dog, cat, three pigs and a kitten.
She and her family try to ensure they have a healthy environment to live in.
Q. What is your ice cream flavor?
A. Butter pecan!
Q. What does your ideal vacation look like?
A. Sitting on my porch with my family.
Q. What do you love about your kids and family?
A. Their strength. My children have had to endure a lot of hardship in their lives, and their strength amazes me. It is what has kept me going through the difficult times we have had.
Q. What skill or talent do you wish you had?
A. Singing! I practice in the shower.
Q. What do you do on a typical workday?
A. My typical workday revolves around anything that has to do with providing our patients the best experience it can be. From monitoring and improving our patient satisfaction surveys, to handling complaints and grievances, to making sure a patient has what they need to leave the organization. I wear a lot of different hats in the day, every day is different and the day guides my tasks.
Q. What do you want to tell people about the COVID-19 pandemic?
A. I want our community to know they are safe in our health care settings and to please not delay seeking medical attention due to fears related to COVID-19. I am so proud of our organization and the steps we have taken to ensure our patients’ safety. I want patients to feel safe coming in knowing that we are taking every effort to provide safe, quality patient care in these uncertain times.