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Interview by Curtis Pond
May 25, 2000

Mary Ellen Parkinson, RN, doesn’t mind being interrupted. In fact, it’s the part of her job she enjoys most. Parkinson is a nurse at Maryknoll, a sprawling residence and chapel perched on the hills of Los Altos, Calif., that serves as a retirement home for about 30 Jesuit priests and brothers. About 25 of the men participate in a long-term, national study on Alzheimer’s, conducted by the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center in Chicago, which includes donating their brains. Throughout the day, Parkinson’s office is a turnstile for traffic as men with lively eyes and curious smiles ask for medical advice or inquire about the day’s activities. "This goes on all day long," she said. "I let them look at their charts and lab work, or whatever they want to know. I enjoy getting visitors." Flowers of every color hug the walkways that circle the campus and wrap around the feet of the sunlit statues of Mary and Jesus. It’s a different setting from the emergency room in Wisconsin or the psychiatric wing at El Camino Hospital in Mountain View, Calif., where Parkinson previously worked in her 30-plus years of nursing before she followed a higher calling—early retirement. Three years ago, Parkinson left the hospital environment and jumped to a full-time position at Maryknoll, where she wasted no time introducing her brand of "hands-on nursing" that strives to educate the men about their health.

Q: What is it about Maryknoll that attracted you to come here?

A: It’s a challenge. We (the other nurse at Maryknoll is Beverly Wilson) made this place more personal and got rid of the sterile feeling. It was too institutional. You have to realize the men were out in foreign countries by themselves. They left in the ’40s, so they don’t know what America has to offer them, or what good, healthy eating is. So right away, I got an exercise therapist up here. They also have a sculptor and wood carver. We also have nutrition students come in and lecture on dietary needs. Beverly really keeps them involved. She is the one who takes them on all the activities, like whale watching or going to local history houses.

Q: What happens when the men don’t want to try new things?

A: We don’t take "no" for an answer. When we first started doing activities, we got one or two people to participate. The other men would say: "You’ll never get that one" or "You’ll never get him to come." But we just kept on them until they finally did it. Sometimes they’ll joke: "We can’t wait until you go home on the weekend. We want to be left alone."

Q: How does your medical knowledge mesh with their knowledge of the spirit?

A: Well, they’re really cute. If I travel somewhere, they will always say: "I’ll say my prayers for you," and I always laugh. "Look," I tell them, "you take care of the spirit and I’ll take care of the body." That way, we have all the bases covered.

Q: How do you compare this nursing job to your others in the emergency room and psychiatric ward?

A: This job is really diverse. I never wanted a PhD in anything; I just wanted to experience many different things. Here, I don’t have anyone looking over my shoulder because we’re not state-regulated. I only have to answer to my own conscience. When people ask me what I do, I just tell them, "I manage their health care." I can be hands-on, educate, counsel and organize. It’s what I always thought nursing should be. There is also a fine line in nursing here. We can’t really invade their privacy because this is their private residence, so there is a lot of guidance and giving them choices. It’s honoring their own individuality. And since men often want to do things their way, they can be a little difficult when it comes to complying with our wishes.