{"id":24411,"date":"2023-02-13T07:00:30","date_gmt":"2023-02-13T07:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/?p=24411"},"modified":"2023-12-26T22:56:21","modified_gmt":"2023-12-26T22:56:21","slug":"covington-nurses-love-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/covington-nurses-love-story\/","title":{"rendered":"The (cell) biology of love: Nurses meet in class, fall in love","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"

Kevin Lukkes, RN, remembers the first time he saw his soul mate.<\/p>\n

He was just starting school at Highline College and knew he wanted to do something in the health care field, but wasn\u2019t quite sure what. So he signed up for some prerequisites \u2014 one class was Cell Biology 101.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s when he saw Jenni Lukkes, RN. And there just happened to be an empty seat next to her.<\/p>\n

Kevin caught Jenni\u2019s eye, too.<\/p>\n

In their words, here\u2019s the story of how they became partners and co-workers.<\/p>\n

\u201cI noticed him on day one because he is tall and handsome,\u201d Jenni says. \u201cI think he noticed me too because it wasn\u2019t long before we started talking.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kevin says, \u201cI started talking to her and she said, \u2018I\u2019m going to be a nurse. What are you going to do?\u2019 Well, what else would I say? \u2018Yes! I\u2019m going to be a nurse, too!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI told him I was going into either dental hygiene or nursing, but I was leaning more toward nursing,\u201d Jenni continues. \u201cKevin told me he was doing nursing, too. I’m thinking wow, what a nice guy! That made me want to stick with getting into the nursing program even more.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHonestly, the reason I\u2019m a nurse is because of her,\u201d says Kevin. \u201cWe took most of our classes together. After a while we got married and now we have two kids.\u201d<\/p>\n

The two married in 2009. Both are registered nurses and currently work at MultiCare Covington Medical Center Emergency Department<\/a> under Nurse Manager Mandy Schaff.<\/p>\n

Fun fact: The Lukkes and Schaff worked together for about eight years at another organization. Kevin precepted Schaff when she first came to the U.S.<\/p>\n

\u201cI worked with both of them for years,\u201d Schaff says. \u201cI\u2019m so thankful to have both of them on my team.\u201d<\/p>\n

Best friends and teammates<\/h2>\n

\u201cI found out \u2014 years later \u2014 he just decided on nursing because of me,\u201d Jenni says. \u201cHe told me later he was leaning toward radiology tech or something else in health care. When we met, he was still not sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

After they met, the two were inseparable. They had so many similar interests.<\/p>\n

Together, Jenni and Kevin went through the certified nursing assistant (CNA) program. From about 2006 to 2008, Kevin worked as an emergency department (ED) tech and Jenni as a CNA on a medical\/surgical unit while they both finished nursing school.<\/p>\n

In 2012, Jenni felt she needed a change. For a few years, she and Kevin worked together after he helped her feel confident that she\u2019d do well in an ED setting.<\/p>\n

Jenni started working at the MultiCare Covington Emergency Department in 2015, a standalone facility at the time and a parking lot away from the busy Covington Medical Office Building.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have really enjoyed working at Covington ED and feel valued as a nurse here,\u201d Jenni says. \u201cI saw the new hospital built in 2018, and I\u2019ve seen lots of changes over the years. It’s a nice facility and the people we work with are great.\u201d<\/p>\n

Over the years, Jenni encouraged Kevin to join the Covington team.<\/p>\n

\u201cI recruited Kevin because he is an awesome nurse, skilled and confident,\u201d she says. \u201cI knew he would be a great addition to the team.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe team, they make it enjoyable,\u201d Kevin says. \u201cEveryone works well together \u2014 there\u2019s great camaraderie. You know that someone has your back and that you\u2019re never on your own.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since having kids, the couple works opposite schedules to avoid child care costs. Currently, Kevin works full time and Jenni is per diem. They haven\u2019t yet worked a shift together, but look forward to carpooling when the kids are a little older.<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Kevin Lukkes, RN, remembers the first time he saw his soul mate. He was just starting school at Highline College and knew he wanted to do something in the health care field, but wasn\u2019t quite sure what. So he signed up for some prerequisites \u2014 one class was Cell Biology 101. That\u2019s when he saw […]<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"author":111,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[79],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24411","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-profiles-stories"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe (cell) biology of love: Nurses meet in class, fall in love - MultiCare Vitals<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Kevin and Jenni Lukkes met and fell in love in a cell biology class. 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