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Luzerne Foundation marks 25th, awards hundreds of thousands in grants

<p>&#8203;&#8203;John Birmer changed careers mid-stream, becoming a nurse after getting married and having a family, but he&#8217;s never looked back.</p><p>He&#8217;s now known for going above and beyond to make his patients feel comfortable, never taking short cuts and always following through to ensure the best outcome for patients.</p><p>Originally, Birmer had a career in nuclear medicine, but when the company that he worked for downsized, Birmer found himself looking for a new course, one consistent with his commitment to helping others.</p><p>&#8220;I was unable to find a job within two hours of home,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I needed to find an upwardly mobile move that would provide financial stability for my family.</p><p>&#8220;I found that in nursing.&#8221;</p><p>Birmer said going back to school after 20 years was tough, but that he pursued his goal of becoming a nurse with a sense of commitment and urgency.</p><p>&#8220;I was blessed to have had the best support system in the world, especially my wife, Erin, who many times served as a &#8216;single mother&#8217; during my times when I was at school,&#8221; he said.</p><p>He credits the &#8220;finest instructors&#8221; at Luzerne County Community College with not only teaching him nursing theory, but how to be a nurse.</p><p>&#8220;The previous two years have been a complete whirl wind, luckily though, I have had the privilege of working with some of the best nurses, techs and support staff in the world,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I daily strive to learn something new from anyone and everyone I work alongside during every shift I work. I have rapidly evolved from a stereotypical &#8216;new nurse&#8217; to a confident and qualified care provider willing to help any of my coworkers succeed and grow with me.&#8221;</p><p>Birmer said his college football coach always reminded players that you never stay the same, you are always either getting better or worse.</p><p>Birmer&#8217;s goal is to get a little better everyday.</p><p>He also hopes to spread awareness of Occupational Violence Care Environment, working to bring an end to abuse in the workplace.</p><p>Birmer&#8217;s wife, Erin, who nominated her husband, said in describing her husband as a nurse, it wasn&#8217;t a matter of knowing where to begin, but knowing when to stop before she sounded like she was bragging.</p><p>Erin Birmer said her husband, even when training to become a nurse, has always put family first and has excelled as a nurse, as a husband and as a father.</p><p><ins>To read more Nurses Week stories, <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/tag/nurses_week" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">click here</a>.</ins></p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">John Birmer is a surgical nurse at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital.    Photo by Butch Comegys / For Times Leader</div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/web1_JohnBirmer2.jpg</photo0><caption0>John Birmer is a surgical nurse at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital.    Photo by Butch Comegys / For Times Leader</caption0><photoCredit0>Butch Comegys | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/web1_JohnBirmer1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">John Birmer is a surgical nurse at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/web1_JohnBirmer1.jpg</photo1><caption1>John Birmer is a surgical nurse at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital. </caption1><photoCredit1>Butch Comegys | For Times Leader </photoCredit1></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Geri Gibbons</p><p>For Times Leader</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p>Hometown: Wilkes-Barre</p><p>Workplace: Wilkes-Barre General Hospital &#8203;</p><p>Family: Wife Erin and daughters Isabelle, Kassidy, and Briella &#8203;</p></factboxMeta></div>

Nurses Week: John Birmer