Michelle Hillery
Michelle was nominated by the Chaplain: A former patient came to Jewish Hospital with a brain bleed from a massive stroke. When I met her she was able to communicate although her headache was quite painful. Her family members were at home, dealing with their own sickness and had not yet been told about their mother’s condition. This patient’s nurse, Michelle Hillery, updated me on the situation and began to advocate for the patient to receive more pain medication and for the doctors to more urgently call the family to tell them the news, so they could be present while their mother was still alert. Because of Michelle’s sense of urgency, I decided to call the sons and home and allow them a chance to talk to their mother over the phone. I knew they did not know the prognosis yet, but I didn’t want them to miss the opportunity to talk with her. For a few minutes the patient was able to talk to her sons, tell them she loved them and offer blessings. |
