I was admitted to Mass General without an anticipated discharge date on site as I was being admitted waiting for a donor for a new heart and liver that I need. Coming from another state, this trip was like no other trip that I have taken to Boston. I was used to appointments, follow-ups, procedures, and regular admittances but this time I wasn’t sure when I would be going home. My wife and I took the elevator to Ellison 11 and came through the doors of the Cardiac Interventional Unit. Here is where we would meet Suzanne.

We knew immediately that Suzanne was a different type of nurse. She had a bedside manner that immediately made us feel a little better about the situation. As the evening went on and we talked with her about our fears, anxieties, and expectations, Suzanne took the time to reassure us that she has had many patients in similar situations, and we are in the right place! When we cried, she was there with the tissues. When we laughed, she joined in! When we had questions, she would always answer them and if she didn’t know the answer she would find out! When the dinner tray served pasta masked as “mush” Suzanne would call the kitchen and ask them to send up a new tray with edible pasta!

My wife is renting a place nearby and Suzanne gave her a Keurig machine so she could have a cup of coffee in the morning. She offered to sit with my wife if we were to get the call and our family was not here from out of state at that time! Her title of "Nurse” went way beyond the scope of her job responsibilities! Suzanne became a trusting friend in a very delicate situation. As the days weeks and months went by, we feel that all the nurses in Ellison 11 Cardiac Interventional Unit are amazing individuals who provide exceptional care and are supportive of someone who is in my position. But I am voting for Suzanne as a nurse who went above and beyond the scope of nursing.