Mother and Son Colleagues at Mercy Mark Significance of Same “Start Date”
June 14, 2024Categories: Colleague Corner
Sometimes the most meaningful and memorable moments happen when you least expect them, perhaps when a casual conversation takes a turn and touches your heart. Deeply. That’s how Mercy’s Maggie Eboso, RN, MSN, MBA, CIC., Infection Prevention and Control Coordinator, might characterize a recent conversation with her son, a conversation that filled her with pride and joy.
Maggie Eboso and her son Michael.
Eighteen-year-old Michael Eboso was at home with his mom when he noticed her perusing a reward catalog to select an item to celebrate her 20-year anniversary at Mercy Medical Center. Michael, who is pursuing a nursing degree at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut, had just started working at Mercy as a Patient Care Technician (PCT). When he asked Maggie about her first day at Mercy, he was surprised to find out that it was June 4, 2004 – exactly 20 years to the day from his first day as a PCT at Mercy.
The significance was not lost on Michael, who already felt like a member of the “Mercy family.” He had returned home from work with stories about the support and kindness he received from both colleagues and patients during his first few days on the job. “While it’s a wonderful gift when someone is nice to your child and makes them feel comfortable as they are just starting their career, it also made me a bit nostalgic,” said Maggie. “Michael’s experience prompted me to revisit my first few days at Mercy and see them again through his eyes.”
Maggie was quick to draw some parallels. She was also a nursing student when she first came to Mercy and after completing her rotation, she was asked to stay on after graduation. From the very beginning, she too was struck by the camaraderie and dedication to patient care that she witnessed – so it was an easy decision to begin and then continue her clinical career at Mercy. In fact, by the time Maggie began working full-time as a nurse at Mercy, she was pregnant with Michael.
“It’s hard to believe that two decades have passed and we’re still living out our Mission by the way we care for our patients and the way we care for each other. I felt it 20 years ago when I first started at Mercy and Michael feels it now,” said Maggie. “When the time comes for me to step aside, I know Michael will be able to ‘take up the mantle’ because of his own desire to serve our patients and the local community.”