‘Blessing of the Hands' Ceremony Celebrates Nurses at L+M

Nurses help give comfort and care during patients' most critical times. During National Nurses Week, Lawrence + Memorial Hospital wanted to bless their nurses for the work they do.

The Blessing of the Hands ceremony took place in healing garden on hospital grounds Tuesday.

"Our hands touch so many lives throughout our careers," said Nurse Manager Janine McDonald, who helped create the ceremony about 10 years ago.

Ever since she was a child, McDonald wanted to be a nurse.

"I was the little girl that got the nurse's kit--doctor's kit at that time because they didn't really have nurse's kits," McDonald said.

Her career trajectory inspired one of the most important people in her life to also choose a career in nursing: her older sister Michelle Bohmbach.

"My sister is a wonderful person and out of everyone in the world, I think I respect her the most," Bohmbach said.

Bohmbach works in critical care at L+M Hospital.

"Lot of times (patients) don't even know we're taking care of them, or they don't even know what's going on, but you have to put all your faith in God that they will get better. They might not know who we are, but they might remember how we touched their lives," Bohmbach said.

Bohmbach and McDonald are the two youngest of six children and grew up in East Lyme. These sisters are best friends. So are their daughters.

Their bond and commitment to others inspired three of their children to explore the medical field in college.

In their careers, they Bohmbach and McDonald have impacted countless lives. Tuesday's ceremony touched theirs.

"It means a lot of to have our hands blessed," McDonald said.

Bohmbach said while McDonald started the Blessing of the Hands ceremony, she took it over this year-- once again following her sister's footsteps. She called it another shared experience.

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