February 2015
Edythe
Durning
,
RN, CRRN
1 North
MossRehab
Elkins Park
,
PA
United States

 

 

 

I nominate Edythe Durning who works on the Spinal Cord Injury Unit at MossRehab. She goes above and beyond with all her patients. I want to share the story of one of her patients.

Her patient arrived with thirteen wounds, three of which had wound vacuums attached to them. The wounds were odiferous and required approximately two hours to complete the dressing changes. The patient was tearful because of the odor and the amount of time the dressings took. Edie comforted her. Edie also requested to be assigned to this patient whenever she was scheduled to work. To absorb the odor to help the patient feel more comfortable, and to encourage more visiting by family and friends, coffee grounds in a container were placed under her bed. When the patient was transferred to the stepdown unit, Edie visited her every day. Later when her former patient was transferred to a long term care facility, Edie who does not have a motor vehicle, went to visit her former patient. This patient eventually died, but Edie was able to brighten her last few months on this earth.

Edie does many things behind the scene that most people aren't aware of such as her monthly contribution of $100 to Occupational Therapy to go towards getting patients items they may need that aren't covered by insurance. This past year in memory of her own son who died with Multiple Sclerosis, Edie purchased a painting created by a former patient with MS which was hung in the Spinal Cord Unit.

Edie really does make a difference in our patients' lives.