Longevity and Growth: Part Two
May 16, 2024
Longevity Within Foundations continues with the celebration of Nursing Week, highlighting the remarkable career of Andrea Miller, a nurse with an impressive 46 years of dedication to nursing. Andrea's journey began in November 1977, at the age of sixteen, when she started working in the kitchens of Terrace View and Overlook Castle Nursing Homes. Inspired by her mother, who was an RN charge nurse at Sunset Castle, Andrea was drawn to the healthcare field from a young age.
Andrea started working in the kitchen at Terrace View and Overlook Castle Nursing Homes in November 1977 at the young age of sixteen. One reason was that it was close to her home, so she would come to work after school in the evenings. She was also raised around the nursing home and wanted to follow in her mother's footsteps. Her mother was an RN charge nurse at the Castle Building Sunset.
After high school, she started working as a nursing assistant, where back then, you did not have to go through any classes to be certified. Andrea looks up to her mentor, Pat Mishler, who was a nurse on the floor and trained her on how to take great care of the residents. After graduation, Andrea knew she wanted to go to LPN school. She was approached by Eileen Dehass, owner and founder of Castle Nursing Homes, about the Castle Scholarship program, so Andrea went to LPN school all paid for by the Castle Scholarship program.
After LPN graduation in 1980, Andrea worked as a nurse in all seven Castle homes and on every shift. She worked as an LPN for six years. Then Andrea went back to school for her RN degree, and again Castle Scholarship program paid her entire way through school. She graduated in 1986 at Kent State as a registered nurse. After graduation, Andrea continued working at Castle Nursing Homes in all buildings and all shifts.
For a short period, Andrea did go to part-time status during the time she had her two sons but never did leave Castle. She would pick up shifts when she could while juggling motherhood. She could not hang up her career because nursing is in her blood and is a passion she lives for. In 1992, the Castle President asked Andrea if she would be the DON for all seven Castle buildings. She would write policies for the company and work with OHSA and ODH surveys. Andrea was told by a fellow employee that after all these years working here, she’s paid back her debt to Castle and the company really got their money’s worth in her.
On May 1st, 2007, Foundations bought Castle Nursing Homes and Scenic View became Scenic Pointe. At that time, Andrea accepted the DON position at Scenic Pointe. She was the DON until 2020 when she decided to hand the torch to another well-deserving RN. She might have retired from 28 years of being a DON, but Andrea was not ready to hang up her stethoscope. Andrea remains at Scenic Pointe as a nurse manager with a whole list of duties and continues to help out and serve this company the way Andrea has always done. She enjoys helping out, taking care of these residents, and making a huge impact on their lives each and every day. Andrea shared,
“I am happy to be a part of this team.” When asked what she would tell someone in this building about longevity, she replied,
“Lots of opportunities to use your skills and care for a special population of folks. There is always something new and it is very rewarding.”
Andrea will celebrate 47 years in nursing this November, which is an amazing career path that started in the kitchen, and led to her being an amazing nurse in the footsteps of her mother, Cynthia Stevens
(who worked for Castle for 50 years). While Andrea stepped down as DON, her dedication remains unwavering. Now serving as a nurse manager at Scenic Pointe, Andrea continues to make a significant impact on residents' lives daily. Her remarkable journey is a testament to the growth and longevity fostered within Foundations. Stay tuned for part three of this inspiring series.