As a senior nurse in the SCCC, Elsa stands out me not only as an excellent clinician, but a tremendously compassionate caregiver to her patients. As a preceptor and charge nurse, Elsa is a leader for her coworkers and a resource to the unit staff. She acts as a change agent to resolve issues that arise, and she is most certainly one of the friendliest faces a newer ICU nurse like me will meet when moving through orientation. Over the past year, I have learned so much from her simply by being a witness to how she challenges the status quo and consistently goes above and beyond to advocate for her patients and colleagues.
There is a night I worked with Elsa that truly stood out to me. She started the night with a very sick patient, so sick that the patient required 1:1 nursing care. It was quickly evident that this patient would likely not make it through the night. After a few tenuous hours, the family decided that it was time to withdraw care. Elsa compassionately provided privacy for the patient and her family to say goodbye and unfortunately, the patient passed away. In the ICU, death is unfortunately an unavoidable part of the job, but it is never easy to lose a patient—most especially after working tirelessly to try to save them. She respectfully provided post-mortem care and paperwork and awaited her next assignment. Soon after, she was posted with an extremely unstable patient who came in suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. While the team was working to assist her in resuscitating this patient, Elsa worked tirelessly in the early hours of the morning to save the life of this young man. He required so much care and she did not quit. It was evident after many massive transfusion protocols, surgeries, and interventions that he would not survive the night. Not even a few hours after his arrival to the unit, unfortunately, he too passed away.
When I think about why Elsa is a DAISY Nurse, what stands out to me is that even in the midst of a tragic shift, she still was able to help me learn about the process of resuscitation and continuously advocated for the best interests of her young patient. As she was finishing up her shift after losing a second patient in one night, I admired her strength she shared that the patient was the same age as her son. You can tell that nursing is more than just a job for Elsa. Her empathy is proven time and time again as she is quick to ensure the patient's best interests are at the center of the care our team is providing. She especially drives this message home when precepting new nurses. I tell her frequently that I want to be her when I grow up!
As a nurse who provides some of the highest levels of clinical excellence for her patients, Elsa embodies what a DAISY Nurse is by forming a respectful partnership with the patient, family, and care team, and compassionately delivering care to the sickest of the sick in Delaware. The SCCC is lucky to call her ours and I am a better nurse to have known and learned from her!