Janette Eichhorn

Janette F. Eichhorn, 79, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, July 21, 2016, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau.

She was born Sept. 21, 1936, in Lockport, Illinois, to Paul and Ruth (Smithpeters) Eichhorn.

Janette graduated from St. Joseph School of Nursing in Joliet, Illinois, in 1957. She was a member of the "Quarter Century Club" at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, where she retired in 2000 after 32 years. Her career at Saint Francis Hospital on Good Hope Street included practice as a critical-care staff nurse and, later, assisting in the opening of the first emergency room at the hospital.

She was one of the nurse leaders instrumental in the design of systems for the new Saint Francis Medical Center and assisted in planning the hospital's move from Good Hope Street to the new location on Saint Francis Drive. As a nurse leader at Saint Francis Medical Center, she served in many capacities, including assistant director of nursing. She ended her career at Saint Francis as the director of risk management and utilization review.

Jan was passionate about nursing and mentored many nurses and other leaders. The Missouri Nurses Association and the District Eight Nurses Association benefited from Jan's leadership. She served on many task forces and committees and served as president of the District Eight Nurses Association, bringing that membership up to 100 during her term. She was most pleased with her success in developing an Impaired Nurses Return to Practice program, working closely with the Missouri State Board of Nursing and in collaboration with the Missouri Nurses Association.

Applying her unique mentorship skills, she served on a national task force that published a booklet to assist new nurses with acclimation into practice. Jan served many years as a Missouri delegate to the American Nurses Association House of Delegates, where national policy on health care and nursing practice was established. In 1993, she received the Missouri Nurses Association Membership Award in recognition of her years of service and leadership.

Jan was a member of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Parish in Cape Girardeau.

She is survived by a niece, Pam Williams; two nephews, Mark and Michael Eichhorn; great-nieces and -nephews, Christina, Samantha, Kelli, Brandon and Lucas; a cousin, Yvonne Stelter; and many friends, including Karen, Sean and Michelle Daugherty, Haley Biester, Stacey Jones and Jacque Aden.

She was preceded in death by her parents and a brother, Richard Eichhorn.

Visitation will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Crain Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau.

Funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Cape Girardeau, with the Rev. David Hulshof officiating.

Memorial contribution can be made to the Saint Francis Patient Scholarship Fund or Mending Hearts Recovery and will be accepted at the funeral home.

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