A nursing career filled with many blessings

Betty Lou Rutherford was 55 years old when she decided to pursue a new career in nursing. She had just been laid off from her engineering job of 30 years and needed to make a last-minute shift in her plans for the future. 

“I feel God guided me into this profession so that I could do his work for the rest of my life. I have always felt that my going into nursing was a calling from God just like sisters and priests get a calling,” said Rutherford, who is now 69. “Once I made up my mind, there was no turning back.”

Rutherford, who is currently a parishioner at Corpus Christi Cathedral, said taking care of her brother (along with her daughter) who developed dementia at an early age, was the moment she knew she made the right decision to become a nurse. 

“I feel like becoming a nurse helped me learn how to deal with his disease and take care of him until he passed. I’ve had many patients and families touch my heart and made me feel glad I became a nurse,” she said.

She recalled one particular instance where she felt incredibly proud to provide care, love and compassion to patients and their families. It was a moment she knew becoming a nurse was the best thing she had done in her life.

“My oldest son and I were having breakfast at a restaurant one day, and a gentleman told me how grateful he was I took care of one of his loved ones,” she recalled. “He told my son I was a great and loving nurse. I was so proud and could see the pride in my son’s eyes.”

Born in Victoria but raised in Tivoli, Rutherford raised her four children as a single mom for most of their lives. She currently works as a registered nurse at CHRISTUS Spohn-Shoreline’s Cardiac Intensive Care Unit in Corpus Christi.

Rutherford carries her Catholic faith with her, wherever she goes, but most especially when she is with her patients.

“I have prayed many times with patients that are dying, and no one is at their side. I have reached out to our spiritual care team when I see things are not going well for a patient or when I see a family member is having a hard time dealing with their loved one’s illness. You have to stay in tune with your surroundings and use your faith to get through a rough day,” she said. “I pray for my team, my work family … I know they have prayed for me.”

She added she takes to heart the mission of CHRISTUS Spohn Health System: “to extend the healing ministry of Jesus Christ.” 

“I feel we fulfill this through the work that we do day in and day out. God wants us to take care of his people … those people are my patients,” she said.

As a nurse on the frontlines of the global pandemic, COVID-19, Rutherford said the biggest battle lies in what little is known about the virus. As of mid-April, the coronavirus had killed 1.9 million people around the world and over 23,000 in the United States alone.

“Information changes daily, sometimes hourly, so keeping up with these changes is critical in order to keep our patients, their loved ones and medical professionals safe. We have to keep our safety in mind. We are the ones that will be there with these patients, holding their hand, reassuring them we are doing everything to take care of them, and get them well. We try to ease their fears,” she said. 

For Rutherford, it’s about working as a team, especially since family members cannot be there for loved ones.

“Communication is critical with families because the nature of this virus keeps them away. We are an awesome team of nurses that work well together and know the dangers of this virus. It’s scary at times, but we support each other emotionally. We’ve had to adapt to changes in our unit quickly, but then that’s what ICU nurses do best,” she added.

Rutherford said she understands some people live their entire lives not having the chance to achieve a dream job, so she feels blessed to have hers.

“If I died tomorrow, I can honestly say I did what I really wanted in my lifetime: to do God’s work and help humanity,” she said. “I pray God gives me good health to do this job for many years to come – after all, I’m doing it for him.” 

An older photo of nurses and staff from CHRISTUS Spohn-Shoreline sharing a moment with Bishop Michael Mulvey, from left, Nancy Porras, Betty Lou Rutherford, Bishop Mulvey, Haziel Camota, Marcel Marcelo, Father Joseph Olikkara and Ian Carino.