February 2017
Hope
Maier
,
RN
CVU
Mercy Health - Fairfield Heart Hospital
Fairfield
,
OH
United States

 

 

 

The other night was one of the most challenging shifts I have ever worked, physically and emotionally, in my almost 10 years as a nurse. Hope, one of my coworkers, had come in early that day to help. By the time our night shift was starting she had been working nonstop to keep her patient alive for the past four hours. Being the good team that we are, we were stopping in the room to assist in any way we could as often as we could. Hope not only was constantly ordering labs and blood but caring for the patient and charting everything she was doing. The family of the patient could see how hard we were all working, but especially Hope. The family verbalized multiple times how grateful they were for the amazing care she was giving their loved one as well as the family members. Hope then began to discuss the severity of the situation with the family while continuing to place orders, chart, and administer fluids and blood products. Early that morning she brought an entirely new meaning to multitasking. Having this discussion is never easy, but to do so with such compassion while continuing to care for the patient and never leaving the bedside takes a special person. She is everything one would ask for in a caregiver. I would feel blessed to have her take care of myself or a loved one. My wish is for every patient at Mercy to experience the compassionate care that Hope provided to this patient and their family.