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Before joining Sentara, Louwana Cochrane helped people plan trips around the world as a reservationist with American Airlines. Today, as a Certified Intermediate Care Registered Nurse who works for Sentara Healthcare’s System Wide Assignment Pool (SWAP), she helps people in a different way.
The patients always vibe on my positive energy, encouragement and personal touch and usually want me to come back tomorrow.”
“I work 6-week, 12-hour shifts as an Internal Travel Nurse on all of Sentara’s Intermediate Care Units. My position helps fill the staffing needs of the units therefore, I need to be flexible, knowledgeable of the system-wide policies, kept up to date on the unit specialty and efficient as an RN. My main goal every day is to take care of my patients at the bedside, review lab results, correct electrolytes, administer medications and blood products, be a client advocate and prevent out of unit codes by communicating clearly with the medical and ancillary staff.”
After leaving American Airlines in 2001, Louwana chose to begin a new career in healthcare as an LPN. She went on to earn RN certification and a bachelor’s degree from Norfolk State University, with support from Sentara’s tuition reimbursement benefit. And she’s not stopping there—Louwana continues to use Sentara’s tuition as she is taking classes toward earning her master’s degree. She has become a role model and mentor to many nurses throughout the system.
Joining the SWAP Team has been the most exciting and most rewarding move in my 12-year nursing career,” she says. “I travel throughout the system and represent a group of highly respected, resourceful, knowledgeable, and valuable group of nurses who actually love their specialty, respect our leadership, have excellent work ethic, and share a common goal of making positive impacts on staffing needs and customer satisfaction system wide.”
Louwana takes healthcare personally, and she has made her own health a priority. This grandmother to two:
She also understands that personal health is more than physical wellbeing, it also means focusing on your mental and spiritual health. Louwana makes it a point to meet and talk with the Hospital Chaplain wherever she is assigned and has taken advantage of Sentara’s free, confidential Employee Assistance Program in the past.
“I am the connection to the communities Sentara serves, and I believe as a middle aged, respected nurse, I am a strong influencer,” she says. “We get a chance to have conversations and make educational connections that make patients want to follow through with what’s recommended to make them better. The patients always vibe on my positive energy, encouragement and personal touch and usually want me to come back tomorrow. I love that everyone needs me and express that they are happy to have me.”
Louwana introduces herself to her colleagues at the beginning of each new assignment with a handwritten note, cake and snacks. She says it’s important for them to know she may be new to their unit, but she’s not new to Sentara.
“I plan on retiring from Sentara. The pension, the incentives, the pay increases, the employee recognition, and the way my fabulous SWAP department administrative team handle our business are more than enough reasons to stay a Sentara employee.”
Before joining Sentara, Louwana Cochrane helped people plan trips around the world as a reservationist with American Airlines. Today, as a Certified Intermediate Care Registered Nurse who works for Sentara Healthcare’s System Wide Assignment Pool (SWAP), she helps people in a different way.
The patients always vibe on my positive energy, encouragement and personal touch and usually want me to come back tomorrow.”
“I work 6-week, 12-hour shifts as an Internal Travel Nurse on all of Sentara’s Intermediate Care Units. My position helps fill the staffing needs of the units therefore, I need to be flexible, knowledgeable of the system-wide policies, kept up to date on the unit specialty and efficient as an RN. My main goal every day is to take care of my patients at the bedside, review lab results, correct electrolytes, administer medications and blood products, be a client advocate and prevent out of unit codes by communicating clearly with the medical and ancillary staff.”
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