
Jackie Roles (right) with daughter Tarsha Trent at the 2018 Employee Appreciation Dinner
Jackie Roles, a unit associate in emergency nursing, followed in her mother’s footsteps by working at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. In 2018, Jackie celebrated her 30-year work anniversary alongside her daughter, endoscopy tech Tarsha Trent, who has worked at Johns Hopkins for 20 years.
Listen to Jackie and Tarsha discuss what it’s like to celebrate their anniversaries together:
Tarsha: It seems like our whole family has worked here at one point. When I was growing up, I didn’t think I was going to work here because so much of the family worked here. I said, “I’m not going to work at Johns Hopkins.” But then I said, “I want to know, I want to grow.” For me, it doesn’t feel like it’s been 20 years.
Jackie: Having family work here: I like it. We all get to grow with each other, experience what’s going on in here. When we talk to each other, we find out that we know the same people. She may have a patient that I know from downstairs. They say, “Oh, that’s your mother? That’s your daughter?” It makes you feel proud.
Tarsha: I take care of someone like I want someone to take care of my mother or one of my children. I’m an endoscopy tech, but I provide love. People hear “endoscopy” and they think of having a colonoscopy, but we do so much more. People get nervous when it comes to a procedure. It’s part of my job to not just be a tech in the room or put your IV in, but also to comfort you and provide love. That’s what I mean when I say I provide love. I do it because that’s how I was raised, for one. I was instilled to always have manners and treat everyone with respect.
Jackie: I was always curious about what my mom did up here [at The Johns Hopkins Hospital]. For the first 10 months after I came in the door, I worked in housekeeping. I began talking to people, curious to be more hands-on and learn about supplies and equipment. I’m always observing people, watching what they do, curious to see when and how people do things. You’ve got to find what works for you. Everybody can’t work in the ER; everyone can’t work in endoscopy. The ER works for me. I’m a multitasker. I transport, I stock, I set the traumas up, I’m running traumas. In a trauma, I give everyone the supplies they need, I go to the pharmacy, I go to the blood bank. I’m a jack-of-all trades. It comes down to all of us to run the traumas.
Tarsha: I need to get back to that [being a nurse]. I went to nursing school and I just need to finish. I don’t want to go back to just bedside nursing, but I don’t know what floor I’d go to. I could see myself becoming a nurse practitioner.
Jackie: A lot of times, Tarsha is training nurses. Hopkins is all about teaching and learning. Just because I’m older doesn’t mean I still can’t learn or teach something. A young person could teach me something – you can’t avoid it. If I’m training you, I’m going to train you the correct way. You may find a shortcut, but train and learn the job first and then you can find a shortcut and do it your way.
Tarsha: By the time we retire, they’re going to remember us.
Jackie: When I retire, I want to travel. I’d love to go to Paris, Europe, Hawaii, Vegas. My dream was always to go to Africa, just to see what really goes on over there, see how they live, see the culture. That’s where I’ve always really wanted to go. But … I don’t like to fly.
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