I would like to nominate Isavela Merianou on 5north. Isavela is an astounding nurse. She is compassionate, intelligent, patient and helpful. She always puts her patient’s first and continuously strives to be the best nurse she can be. I recently transitioned over to the night shift. Being new on the shift can be a little intimidating. From the very first day I started, Isavela made it very clear that she would help me with any questions or problems. She constantly would check on me throughout the shift to make sure I felt comfortable. She is always lending a hand to her fellow colleagues. There are numerous examples I can provide that demonstrate her kindness, but there is one specific example that stands out in my mind.
We had 5 nurses on the unit, and I was receiving report for my new admission, she would be my eighth patient for the night. The patient already had multiple MICU consults, but still no beds were available. Her hemoglobin was 5.2, and she had 3 new orders for PRBC that I would need to give during my shift. My patient had many other various health issues, and would become combative when any one tried to talk to her and provide care. She had 9 pressure ulcers along her back, hips, and legs. As I waited for my patient to arrive to the unit, I started to get nervous. I felt a little overwhelmed. I was aware that every time I would have to go in there to give her medication through her peg tube or do any dressing changes, that I would need to have someone come in with me to distract the patient and to help calm her down. Thankfully Isavela was on staff this night. She knew the patient would be a challenge, and that I would need extra help in caring for her. She came right over to me and said, “Let me help you, we’re in this as a team!” Hearing those words made everything better. I felt comfortable knowing that she would help me if I needed it. Not only did she offer her assistance, but also she stood by her word. She offered to come into the room and hold my patients hand and speak with her as I gave her all her medication. Numerous times throughout the night she shared stories of how she cared for similar patients’ and what techniques worked for her. She was extremely informative and allowed me to ask questions without hesitating. Together we provided the utmost care for my patient, and for that I was extremely grateful. She is an amazing resource to have on the unit, and combined with her compassionate care, it makes her an extraordinary nurse.
Isavela is also fluent in Spanish. Whenever we have any patient coming to the unit that is Spanish speaking, she always offers her assistance to go into the room. It allows the patient to feel more comfortable in knowing there is always some one there that they can communicate with directly on the unit. Many times she has offered her assistance to calm patients down and break the language barrier right away. Because of her exceptional energy and passion for excellence, she is an outstanding role model for the nursing profession, and truly deserves to be recognized for it.