Coleen Nicolosi
April 2022
Coleen
Nicolosi
,
BSN, RN
Heart & Vascular ICU East 7 Campus
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia
,
PA
United States

 

 

 

When SJ felt disheartened because of her inability to move independently and see her newborn baby girl, Coleen organized daily video chats, scheduled family presence at interdisciplinary rounds, and promoted mobility goals in partnership with Physical Therapy.
Coleen has been one of the primary nurses for SJ, a 36-year-old mother of two. SJ was admitted to the hospital with acute respiratory failure secondary to COVID pneumonia. SJ was emergently taken to the operating room for an emergent C-section due to worsening respiratory status and placed on Veno-Venous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (VV ECMO). SJ did not meet her third child after birth due to her acute clinical status. Throughout SJ’s complicated four-month HVICU stay, Coleen has been by her side as a communicative and motivating nurse advocate. When SJ felt disheartened because of her inability to move independently and see her newborn baby girl, Coleen organized daily video chats, scheduled family presence at interdisciplinary rounds, and promoted mobility goals in partnership with Physical Therapy. Coleen’s listening ear and kind, compassionate voice motivated SJ to work towards her personal goals daily. SJ and Coleen would choose these goals together. After many months of emotional roller coasters, SJ was made eligible for the lung transplantation list. Coleen was thrilled to hear this news! She coordinated a special video chat with SJ, SJ’s spouse, and the lung transplant team to announce the wonderful news! This encouraging news inspired SJ to ask if she could meet her now 3-month-old baby girl. After Coleen heard this request, she immediately started planning with nursing leadership, SJ’s spouse, and the interdisciplinary care teams. Coleen coordinated a “pretty in pink” baby girl photo shoot, which included pink linens, faux flowers, ribbons, bows, pink floral swaddles, and decorations. Coleen strategically draped the linens over the medical equipment; you couldn’t even tell it was a patient’s hospital room! She did SJ’s hair and ensured SJ looked and felt confident for the big day. The introduction day finally came! SJ was able to personally welcome her baby girl to the world and spend quality bonding time with her newest child and husband as a family. SJ communicated that this was the best day she has had in the hospital, all thanks to Coleen’s above and beyond efforts to reunite mother and child.