Darlene was the primary nurse for a teenage girl who was the victim of a brutal attack where a woman had poured nitric acid onto her face. This young girl was a model in her home country and was now a severely disfigured burn patient at our hospital. The burn had melted the skin off this young girl's face, burned off her ears, and blinded her eyes. She had no facial features. The lights were always off in her room, she would stare at pictures of her former self and cry all day long, and she had no one at her bedside to help her. Watching Darlene care for this patient each and every day captured the very essence of what nursing is all about. Darlene never saw her burns. Darlene never saw her severely disfigured face. All Darlene ever saw was a young girl who so desperately needed to be loved and cared for. And that is exactly what Darlene did.
Looking, listening and caring are skills we all need to learn; as well as helping others by showing some concern. Darlene has mastered this art of nursing. I witnessed firsthand Darlene look for ways to encourage, listen for 'unspoken' needs, and care for this patient by strengthening her with compassion and kind deeds.
There are lyrics in a song that say, "Hands, put your empty hands in mine. And scars show me all the scars you hide. And hey, if your wings are broken, please take mine so yours can open too, because I'm going to stand by you." That is exactly what Darlene did when caring for this young girl.
I feel so honored to have been able to work alongside such an amazing and incredible nurse and I can only hope to someday emulate half of who she is. I wanted to let her know that not only has she made a difference in the lives of her patients; but also, has had a profound impact on my life and career in nursing.
It is because of Darlene's actions that have inspired not only her patients but also me to "dream more, learn more, do more and become more".
I have been fortunate enough to work with Darlene since the very beginning of my nursing career at Shriners Hospitals for Children-Boston as a student nurse. I am sure Darlene didn't know it at the time, but I looked up to her as my role model and embraced every word, every action and every experience she ever provided to me. 19 years later, and I still look up to her.