Building Stronger Families, Building a Brighter Future
Our Wonderful Nurses!
Staff Profile: Patty Martin
Patty Martin has been with Brighter Futures longer than any other nurse,
and it’s probably because she has the most energy. Patty not only knows
how to motivate her clients, she motivates other nurses as well. At a
recent “talent show” of Brighter Futures’ staff, Patty’s “talent” was
blasting the theme song from “Footloose,” while clapping her hands and
dancing wildly on top of chairs – inspiring the rest of the room to join
her.
Patty has been with Brighter Futures since it began 16 years ago. Her eyes
light up when she describes the passion she has for the program’s mission
and the compassion she has for her clients. “The most wonderful thing is
to find the part of loveliness that is within my clients,” she says, “and
that’s where I start. You go from there and work your way up. This is
strength-based. It’s spiritual.”
Though highly rewarding, the job has not been without its challenges,
Patty explains. “When a client has lived a violent life and that is all
she knows how to pass on to her child, then the challenge is breaking the
cycle of violence,” she says. “I show her how she can find the strength,
the positive in the child, the same way I help my clients find the
strength and the beauty in themselves. I try to model it for them.”
Her greatest successes come from seeing clients say ‘I can do that!’ and
take ownership of their lives. Says Patty, “ that sense of empowerment and
sense of responsibility that a client will take in her life; it is a
wonderful thing to see.”
Patty has bright expectations for the future of Brighter Futures. “I can’t
see it getting any better,” she says with a laugh. “Teamwork is the key,
and we have an incredible team of nurses.”
Brighter Futures Nurse Patty Martin and her husband, Bob
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