Pathways To Housing PA nurse honored for going above & beyond
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - It is National Nurses Week, a time to celebrate all the remarkable healthcare workers in our lives. Independence Blue Cross is recognizing some of the outstanding nurses in the Philadelphia region who go above and beyond every day. It's part of their 5th annual Celebrate Caring Campaign.
Meet Juju McClain-Riggins, a local registered nurse who travels all over the city offering help to those who need it most. She arrives at work almost every day bopping to the beat of her favorite song and ready to spread strength and positivity to every patient she sees.
"That's just what helps me to stay upbeat and just happy and thankful," McClain-Riggins said.
And that's the attitude she carries with her into the community.
As a registered nurse with Pathways To Housing PA, she performs regular house calls for clients who are homeless or battling drug addiction, or both, often in some of the city's roughest neighborhoods.
"I just like that part of it, being able to go in and let somebody who might otherwise not feel special, feel special. Let them know they're loved, they're important, we care about you, whatever concerns you, concerns me. That type of thing," McClain-Riggins said.
Not only does she help them heal from serious wounds, she often goes the extra mile, gifting them clothes or helping them do their hair.
She credits her father and her faith for fostering the care and compassion she affords all of her patients.
"When I was growing up, I was a pastor's child, so a preacher's kid. And we were just taught heavily that you're supposed to treat others as Christ wants you to and just give respect to all those," McClain-Riggins said. "It doesn't matter if it's a homeless person on the street or the prime minister. Whoever I meet, I treat them all the same."
And while she says winning awards isn't why she works, she's grateful for the recognition. Her coworkers are happy to see her getting credit from the community she cares for so much.
"I cannot stress enough her energy," Kristina Scalia-Jackson, Director of Center of Excellence for Opioid Use Disorder, said. "When she comes in just really happy to be here, it's like, OK, things could be a lot worse. It makes you just realize we're all here for a reason, we all like what we do."
"I can't think of a person, honestly, that is more deserving," Wakida Williams, Assistant Clinical Director at Pathways to Housing PA said. "Her level of compassion, honestly, is just very much unmatched. No job is too big or too small for her. And it actually takes a special, unique person to do community nursing. Most nurses are used to being in hospitals and facilities, but Juju is out there on the frontlines each and every day."
McClain-Riggins is currently taking classes toward a master's degree in nursing. She says she'd recommend the field to anyone who wants financial stability and to make a difference by caring for others.