Gina DiRaimo on Skilled Nursing at The Cedars
Gina DiRaimo on Skilled Nursing
Welcome to The Cedars’ family tree. Today we are introducing Gina DiRaimo. Gina is the Assistant Director of Nurses at Cedar Crest and The Cedar’s infection control preventionist. Read about her 24 year career and listen to her discuss skilled nursing at The Cedars.
The Faces behind Skilled Nursing
As Assistant Director of Nurses, Gina expects to see a little bit of everything each day. She was born and raised in Cranston, graduated from Rhode Island College, and now lives in Cranston with her husband, two sons, and two pugs. Her favorite part of her job is helping people, which has been her calling from an early age. As a child, Gina loved to play nurse. She would be her mom’s assistant and take care of her siblings while they were sick. Now her day-to-day centers around helping people, including patients, family members, and other nurses. Every day at her job is different, but that unpredictable element is what makes skilled nursing that much more rewarding.
Skilled Nursing During COVID-19
Gina become Cedar Crest’s infection control preventionist in March 2020. The Cedars was one of the first facilities in Rhode Island that saw a patient test positive for COVID-19 in March. Then in November 2020, healthcare providers across the country found themselves in the trenches of the COVID-19 Pandemic, working seven days a week around the clock. A group of nurses and CNAs volunteered to work twelve hour shifts to operate The Cedars’ COVID unit. Through providing skilled nursing under the circumstances, Gina says it became apparent who the shining stars and team players were.
The Next Generation of Skilled Nursing
Gina started working at Cedar Crest in 1997 and has been working at The Cedars for over 24 years. From hiring to training, Gina plays a crucial part in preparing the next generation of caretakers. DiRaimo supports careers in nursing at all stages of the process. Part of her responsibilities including reviewing applicants from training from Cranston West High School and the Genesis Program. Skilled nursing is the beating heart of Cedar Crest, and Gina describes The Cedars as a mini-hospital. “It’s us,” Gina says, “If someone needs an IV it’s us, if someone needs respiratory it’s us, if someone needs wound care it’s us.”
For more than 40 years The Cedars has provided skilled nursing, long term care & short term care, rehabilitation, and home care services all throughout Rhode Island.
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