May 5, 2021

Patricia Dumonceaux, RN, Infection Prevention Control Lead

Central, Life@Work

“Growing up, I lived close to both sets of my grandparents. We all lived on this five-acre plot and we joked that we had our own little neighborhood. It was awesome. I had a great connection with my grandparents and an appreciation for how important they are.

My inspiration for becoming a nurse started with my grandmother. She had at least 12 surgeries in her lifetime. Being there with her taught me the art of caring. It’s what drew me to want to care for people. When I was in college, my grandmother ended up with an infection after one of her surgeries. I remember coming home on weekends to help her. That’s when I decided I wanted to go into public health. I started my career helping people in their homes and saw the connection between how much your family, community and surroundings affect your health.

When I joined CentraCare as part of the infection control team, I saw it as a great way to focus on infectious disease and continue my joy of research and learning. We work to protect our patients and keep them safe. Sometimes that means simple things like helping people understand the importance of hand washing. But simple things can have a huge impact.”