I have struggled with chronic illness for many years, dating back over a decade. I had moved here from another state, where I had received treatment for many years. Then I met Christina Menefee, RN. She greeted me with introducing herself and said, "are you E?". She then said, "I was looking at your chart last evening as I like to prepare ahead of time before working here." I was very impressed. She then said "I noticed you were not receiving Rituxan for cancer but for a type of vasculitis. I did not know a lot about your disease so I read your consults from Hopkins and then looked up the disease to learn more about it." I was almost in tears. She made me feel like a human being with a serious illness and not that problem patient with the complicated protocol who never has IV access. I was so touched. She then said, "Vasculitis patients can have problems with the Rituxan, have you ever had a serious infusion reaction?" I told her yes and then she asked me what happened and how they treated it. I felt immediately at ease and in good hands. I felt safe for the first time ever.
She then said "It looks like this disease can be serious. Is it okay if I ask you about some of your symptoms?". With that information she also modified her review of systems based on the symptoms she knew I had in the past and the symptoms I get with the medication. I have never had this type of experience with a nurse before. So instead of "have you had any falls?" it was changed to "you said you get chest pain with your vasculitis, do you have any now?" or "I know you have neuropathy, have you had any falls or been off balance?". This is a completely different experience for me. She then looked at my veins and said, "you have good veins, your IV is not going to be a problem" and got my IV in one stick, painless and quick. When the IV pump started incessantly beeping for "air in the line" she tilted the tubing in a way it stopped happening because she knew I had a headache already from the pre-medications, and I get headaches with the medication. On that day, things went so smoothly I got out over 60 minutes earlier than expected.
I strongly feel Christina Menefee is a true DAISY Nurse. Christina is an exceptional nurse. She has confidence, she cares, she's attentive, smart and personable. She truly is a role model for her peers and to the rest of us in health care in general. If we all could be a little more like her, we would all be doing our patients a great service. I felt safe, listened to and cared for. She treats the whole patient, not just going through the motions of the charting, the hanging of the drips, the multiple check boxes, and the vital signs. She made me feel like she was on my team.