Nursing assistant celebrates 50 years with Bridgewater Retirement Community
BRIDGEWATER, Va. (WHSV) – Betty Staubus, a certified nursing assistant (CNA) at Bridgewater Retirement Community, recently celebrated 50 years of employment. Although she said much has changed over the last five decades, one thing she said hasn’t is her love for helping others.
“I don’t like the highlights of myself. I put it all on my residents, cause that’s what caused me to be here long as I have been,” Staubus said.
Staubus began working at BRC in 1974 at the age of 36, and said her career began when the 96-acre property looked much different than it does today.
“[When] I first started, it was just a three-story building — basement, the first floor was adult living and the second floor was the infirmary where I worked, and it was interesting,” Staubus said. “There was no fancy, no modern stuff or anything like that.”
Her son already had a job at BRC then, and he encouraged Staubus to apply to work there too, telling Staubus after he came home one day that it would be a perfect fit.
“He played the piano and he wanted a new piano and at that time, my husband and I couldn’t afford to buy him a piano, so he started working here. He came home one day and said, ‘Mom, you would love it here. Please go down and put your application in,” Staubus said.
And the rest is history. Since that day, Staubus has been a dedicated employee at BRC alongside her fellow nursing staff. She said she has mentored many colleagues, imparting wisdom to some who are currently in the beginning of their careers.
“I said, ‘If you earn the family’s trust, they will trust you to take care of their loved ones,’” Staubus said. “You have to show them that you are capable and you enjoy taking care of their family.”
Staubus said she has even taken care of people she’s worked with, which she acknowledges as one of the most difficult parts of the job. She said a tough task she finds comfort in is taking care of residents who are in their final days.
“It just gives me comfort and joy knowing that they’re at peace,” Staubus said. “I talk to them, I sing to them. You can see the expression on their faces when you’re talking to them and singing to them and it’s just heartwarming for me to be able to take care of them.”
BRC staff threw Staubus a 50th “work-iversary” party in recent weeks, which she said was a total surprise.
“On the day of my anniversary, I came to work and I wasn’t gonna say a word to anybody,” Staubus said. “Nobody said anything to me, so I went home and I told my family, ‘I got through it today, so they done forgot about it.’ Then the next day, they gave me this surprise 50th anniversary party, and it was real nice and I appreciated it.”
As for retirement plans, Staubus said she has no plans of slowing down just yet.
“When I see that I can’t do [tasks] like I should and take care of the resident, then that’s when I retire,” Staubus said. “When you retire, you sit, and then sometimes you don’t get back up. So, I say stay moving as long as you can … It gives you a clear mind, and also it keeps you motivated.”
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