Matthew Reeves grew up on a farm in South Carolina. Daily jobs included feeding cows and picking vegetables. By the age of 14, he moved on to operating heavy machinery – sprayers, combines and more.
“At a young age, I could see my hard work being recognized and along with that came increased responsibility,” says Matthew, a registered nurse at Beaumont Hospital, Troy.
“I’ve always believed that in order for us to see the change we want to see, we have to put actions behind our words.”
In college Matthew held several internships in the hospital and during his time at a research clinic for Alzheimer’s disease, he gained a better understanding and appreciation of nursing. After graduating from Wofford College, he decided to follow
his passion of becoming a nurse.
The hard work and reliability that had been instilled in him while growing up on the farm paid off in his early days as a nurse at Beaumont as well.
Matthew was immediately recognized as a team player that had a knack for bringing out the best in his colleagues and patients. He’s been described as “the hardest working nurse on our unit; always lending a helping hand to anyone in need.”
“As a nurse, it’s not only important to use holistic care in our interactions with our patients, but also our colleagues,” explains Matthew. “I’m constantly checking in to make sure my team is doing okay. Ensuring that we
are all doing well is vital to having a good and safe shift.”
Matthew’s nursing career began on Beaumont, Royal Oak’s neuro progressive care unit, which meant he was providing care for patients with a variety of brain / head trauma. These patients face multiple-day hospital stays and neurological assessments
every two hours.
“I could sense that some patients were feeling annoyed getting asked the same questions 12 times a day,” Matthew describes. “It’s a redundant exercise, but an important one.”
To provide levity to his patients and make these check-ins a little more fun, Matthew taught himself some card tricks to break up the routine questions. “The tricks don’t replace the assessments, but I’m able to evaluate a few helpful
things like ‘Did they remember their card?’, ‘Were they actively participating?’”
What started as a “goofy pastime” for Matthew turned into an activity that sought to bring some cheerfulness to his patients and staff.
Matthew adds, “As nurses, we play a unique role in medicine. We treat the diagnosis, but also the mind and spirit of the patient.”
Without a strong team, Matthew admits it would be impossible to make it through each shift. And based on the feedback from his fellow nurses, each shift is even better with Matthew.
“Our team-nursing approach never fails.”