Amelia Tiefenthaler Named a Notable Nurse

At 16 years old, Amelia Tiefenthaler began working in an assisted living facility where she cared for the elderly. It was then she discovered her aptitude for taking care of people. She harnessed this capacity and turned it into a career; she now works as a nurse in the Loma Linda University Medical Center’s Heart and Surgical wing, where for the last four of her total 12 years at the medical facility she has worked on a post-surgical unit. Recently, for her work, she was recognized by Senator Bill Emmerson (R-Redlands) and Assemblymember Mike Morrell (R-Rancho Cucamonga), Tiefenthaler was named a Notable Nurse during a special recognition ceremony that took place last month. “I was very surprised to have been given the recognition,” said Tiefenthaler. “I felt honored and it was greatly appreciated.” Among other recognitions, Tiefenthaler was also given the Good Samaritan Award by the Loma Linda University Medical Center last October. Though she faces some challenges on a day-to-day basis—“staffing safely to meet patient needs while juggling the challenges of staying within productivity hours and budget,” she said—Tiefenthaler shared that in the end, she feels her job is both rewarding and inspiring. The most rewarding part, she said, is “when patients and their family members feel they have received compassionate care.” As a nurse working in a post-surgical unit, Tiefenthaler works with patients to assure that they are comfortable following surgery and also oversees that they are healing correctly. Outside of the Medical Center, Tiefenthaler lives with her husband, Roy, and their two sons—Ian, 10, and Kevin, 4—in Riverside, where they have lived for about 10 years. She enjoys spending time with her family, she shared. “Having two small children keeps me busy. I enjoy taking day trips with my sons to the beach, park, or taking road trips. We recently took a road trip with my mother for a few days to Arizona to visit my sister and her husband.” Tiefenthaler was recognized alongside various other Inland Empire area nurses. Other LLUMC Nurses who were recognized include Tony Dharmaraj, Monique Edwards, Brenda Jerez-Aguilar, Hannah Li, Christina Niles and Jennifer Blaire.