Isabelle is one of our fearless leaders on our acute care unit. Serving in the Lead RN role for many years, Isabelle brings her leadership, humor, and compassion to everything she does. She not only facilitates care of the patients and families but takes an active role in caring for the staff. She often uses her own money and an abundance of her time to beautify our unit. Recently, she converted one of our small offices to a relaxation room and she did an amazing job! It is a little piece of quiet paradise with faux candles, a recliner, and a forest style mural that she herself applied to an entire wall. It has been a source of excitement and pride for the staff.
The most amazing program that Isabelle has put her heart and soul into is care packages for our newly diagnosed cancer patients. Isabelle had the idea to create a care package that she named "Brighten a Day Bag" for every new patient who is diagnosed with cancer and begins treatment on our unit. The care packages, that she personally puts together, have a variety of items, such as a soft blanket for patients to use while they're in the hospital, a journal or book, soft stuffed animals, pretty lotion bottles for women, or a neck pillow for men. Isabelle accepts donations from staff and from community businesses, as well as contributing from her own pocket. Often these patients come into the hospital with a brand-new symptom and discover that they need to prepare for the battle of their life. They're afraid, anxious, and sad. This has made an amazing difference for patients who are faced with a life-altering diagnosis. When presented to patients, the bags have been met with gratitude and sometimes tears. Isabelle is an amazing nurse that we are proud to call one of our own!