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A CAREER OF A LIFETIME:
AN INTERVIEW WITH PROFESSOR MARIAN SPENCER
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Marian Spencer
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Goddard House employees told the editors
of “In Touch” that if we were looking to
highlight an extraordinary person on the
subject of work and lifelong learning, we
must meet their inspiration, Marian
Spencer, R.N., M.S., C.A.G.S. and Professor
of Gerontology at University of
Massachusetts, Boston. Nurse and educator,
Spencer, conveys an exuberant energy and
enthusiasm for learning and living fully
and realistically. Here are excerpts from our
conversation:
I’ll give you the chronology of my career,
but no dates (laughing)! My early childhood
and high school education was in private and
parochial schools. Boston City Hospital was
where I trained and began my nursing career.
Upon graduating I continued there working in the operating room. Later I
worked as a private duty nurse prior to joining the U.S. Army nurse corps
nearing the end of World War II. During this era, the wonder drugs were
penicillin and sulfas.
“You always need to know more.” This became a guiding philosophy for me.
I worked and went back to school again and again. I received a Bachelor of
Science degree from Boston University. At that time, much of my work was
defining care for the chronically ill. Then I earned my Masters of Science degree
from B.U. and went on for post-masters in rehabilitation nursing and public
health gerontology to improve the delivery of care for chronically ill elders. After
fifteen years, I changed careers to teach community health nursing and
gerontology at B.U. School of Nursing in the graduate program before coming
to the University of Massachusetts Gerontology Program. Until recently, I always
made time to work in a skilled nursing environment. Today, nursing is a highly
developed profession. Its challenges are multiple: commitment to learning and
developing critical thinking skills, caring, recognition of the need for expert
knowledge, good communication and balancing both the art and science of
nursing. Nurses need to understand the wholeness of each human being, that is,
mind, body and spirit as well as cultural sensitivity. They have to be prepared for
end-of-life care. I encourage nursing assistants to obtain their L.P.N. credentials
and develop a high level of competency. Candidates should take the necessary
courses to be accepted into academic degree programs.
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While it is improving, there is still a great deal of anti-aging prejudice in our
youth-driven culture. We really need to begin to educate children in grammar
school to have a more positive approach to aging. The Baby Boomer generation
will have more choices and resources related to aging if they are able to afford
them but also unprecedented challenges as they find themselves working,
raising children and caring for aging parents at the same time.
To age successfully, people need to be aware of what helps
towards that goal: acceptance of age as a natural part of the life
span, involvement with your social group and community,
continuing education, personal development and engagement in
life. This is what I teach and live as I age. Fortunately, I’m extremely
independent. I have many hobbies and interests including jazz,
classical music, reading and the theatre. They really do
it for me! Most of all, it is people that give later life
meaning. Each of us is vulnerable to change, loss,
illness or disability as we age. We will need the
support of one another to get through and make
the best of life. I invest in the people I care for
and about.
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