A Full-Circle Journey Back to Madonna
For Kate Probasco, CNA, Madonna Rehabilitation Hospitals has been part of her life for much longer than the year she has spent working here.
At age 11, Kate came to Madonna as a patient after undergoing three craniotomies that left her paralyzed on the right side of her body. She came to Madonna to regain her strength and get as close to 100% as possible.
“I really enjoyed my time here,” Kate said. “I felt like the care team was really amazing and everyone really just wanted me to get better. They all were very supportive of my entire time that I was here.”
Among those caring for Kate was Ellen Scott, BSN, RN, CBIS, CRRN, Madonna’s Director of Nursing for Omaha, who was a pediatric nurse supervisor in 2017. Scott still remembers the determination and energy Kate brought to rehabilitation.
“Kate as a patient was so much fun,” Scott said. “She was very determined. She comes from a wonderful family and that family was so supportive throughout her whole stay.”
That experience stayed with Kate long after she left Madonna and eventually helped inspire her career path.
Kate first returned to Madonna as a volunteer before pursuing a CNA position. For Scott, watching that transition was especially meaningful.
“I couldn’t stop smiling hearing about this,” Scott said. “To go from caring for her as a little girl who worked so hard to seeing her ready to serve patients was really special.”
Now, as a CNA, Kate gets to do just that. Her experience as a patient gives her a perspective she carries with her every day. She knows what it feels like to rely on a care team, and she remembers how she wanted to be treated during her own recovery.
“I feel like I can kind of be in their shoes,” Kate said. “I know what they’re going through, and how I was treated as a patient here, and I’m just trying to reciprocate that to the patients.”
For Kate, one of the best parts of the job is getting to know the people she cares for and watching their progress.
“I really like hearing patients’ stories and seeing them get better the longer they’re here,” she said. “I just really like seeing them get back to 100%.”
Scott believes Kate’s journey reflects the impact rehabilitation can have long after a patient leaves Madonna.
“It was really special that she was ready to serve Madonna patients as a caregiver and pull from her own experience,” Scott said. “Now we get to know her as a caregiver herself.”
Kate says she has enjoyed becoming part of the same team that once cared for her.
“It’s just a really good community,” she said. “It’s fun to work here and I have enjoyed my time here. I really, really like it.”
For someone who once came to Madonna as a child hoping to regain her strength, returning years later as a caregiver is a meaningful next chapter in her journey.