June 2022
Jennifer
Correale
,
RN
Medical ICU
UMass Memorial Medical Center
Worcester
,
MA
United States
She not only knew what we needed to hear, she knew exactly what mom needed, too.
The morning our mom passed away, Jennifer was her nurse. She was kind, thoughtful, smart, caring, and even funny. She got to know our whole family, and she treated our mom as if she was her own. My sister could be there in person, but I live out of state. Jennifer took the time to set up a video chat for me, so my sister and I got to be with mom together during her last hours, thanks to Jennifer. At first, before my sister arrived, it was just me on video chat, and every time I felt awkward and ran out of things to say, Jennifer encouraged me and helped me. Further, she talked to my sister’s husband (an EMT and firefighter) about technical things and also talked to my sister in easier-to-understand terms. She helped my sister and me feel comfortable about our decisions. She not only knew what we needed to hear, she knew exactly what mom needed, too. She was good to all of us, kind to my sister’s children when they arrived, and welcoming when long-time family friends came to say their last goodbyes to mom. Finally, we watched her and her team take care of mom with kindness and empathy; she kept mom clean and comfortable the entire time. It was the most humane personal care for someone that I’ve ever seen. We will always hold Jennifer in our hearts for what she did that night for our mother and for all of us.