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'The Nurse' poem donated to hospital

The very special poem was written nearly a century ago. Newswatch 16's Nikki Krize shares it with us.

SAYRE, Pa. — When Margaret Prinzi was going through her grandmother's belongings recently, the last thing she expected to find was a poem.

"I feel really happy because it's part of our Valley history," Prinzi said.

The poem is called "The Nurse."  

It was written on December 10, 1939, by Guthrie Robert Packer Hospital Nurse Hattie Burdick.  

Prinzi's grandmother worked at the former Robert Packer Mansion and her mother was a nurse's aide there.  

Prinzi donated the poem to Guthrie's archives in Sayre.  

"You go back and you realize how it's changed but the nursing attitude hasn't," she said.

"It's honestly a great piece of history and I'm happy to have it here in our hands," said Mikayla Hartwell. 

"It's a great reminder of why we do what we do and really what is at the heart of nursing," added Jennifer Orbin.

Hartwell and Orbin are Registered Nurses at Guthrie Robert Packer Hospital.  

"There's other things we have to do now but the heart of nursing is still there and I think that poem is a good representation and reminder of why we do what we do," Hartwell said.

"Being a nurse it's more than just a job. It really is; it's a passion and something like that really reminds you of that," Orbin said. 

National Nurses Week just wrapped up and these nurses say receiving this poem was the perfect ending to the week.  

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