Jessica
Graef
April 2010
Jessica
Graef
,
MSN, CNL, RN
Hematology/Oncology/Bone Marrow Transplant Unit
Children's National Hospital
Washington
,
DC
United States
Nomination from the patient:
I think Jessica should be the winner of “The DAISY Award” because she went totally out of her way and did way more than any nurse I have had in all of my hospital visits. When I was having excruciating pain, she reacted the fastest out of all of my previous nurses. She immediately called the doctors. She moved quickly from place to place while stressing to the staff that immediate help was in dire need. She came directly to my room without stopping. She also got on her hands and knees to help ease my pain. She remained calm while I was in the panic mode. Words cannot explain all that she has done in my time of need. She cared for me as if I was her own flesh and blood. Thank you so much for being there for me.
Nomination from the patient’s father:
One night my son, a patient at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington DC, began complaining of pain in his hands and feet. That next morning RN Jessica Graef reported for duty. Upon entering the room she encountered my son now in severe pain and with swelling and redness of his hands and feet from the chemotherapy he had just finished receiving. The pain was a 10+ on the scale of 1-10. From that point she began caring for him with everything from words of comfort and to giving him pain medicine. The pain continued to increase so she notified the doctor and he increased the dose of pain medicine with no positive effect. The pain team was notified. In the meantime, RN Graef went out of her way to comfort my son. Below is a short list of the many more things she performed on that day.
She continued communications between the doctor, herself, and my son to try and resolve the issue.
She remained in the room despite other patients whom were in her care in which she had her colleagues assist her in providing for them.
She massaged his feet and hands to help alleviate the pain which had a positive outcome.
She developed her own ideas as to other remedies to help including soaking the feet in cold water and wrapping them with ace bandages and ice packs- all of which had a positive outcome.
Not lastly, but I would like to mention that she neglected herself and her own personal needs to attend to my son. One of which is I do not believe she had anything to eat all day. I ordered some lunch and offered her some, but she refused and continued to care for the patient as if I had never mentioned it.
I never saw her take a break therefore there’s no way she could have eaten anything or cared for herself in any way.
The next morning there was a slight improvement in my son which did deteriorate during the day; however, she was caring for him as the day before. I could go on and on to list several more situations she placed herself in to provide care and support, but I believe this is enough to describe not only the RN, but the outstanding character of an individual which can only come from one’s heart.
You can’t learn love and compassion in nursing school; it’s something that comes from within. RN Graef has that something special within that definitely shows on the outside.
Thank you so much for all you’ve done from a parent’s perspective.
I think Jessica should be the winner of “The DAISY Award” because she went totally out of her way and did way more than any nurse I have had in all of my hospital visits. When I was having excruciating pain, she reacted the fastest out of all of my previous nurses. She immediately called the doctors. She moved quickly from place to place while stressing to the staff that immediate help was in dire need. She came directly to my room without stopping. She also got on her hands and knees to help ease my pain. She remained calm while I was in the panic mode. Words cannot explain all that she has done in my time of need. She cared for me as if I was her own flesh and blood. Thank you so much for being there for me.
Nomination from the patient’s father:
One night my son, a patient at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington DC, began complaining of pain in his hands and feet. That next morning RN Jessica Graef reported for duty. Upon entering the room she encountered my son now in severe pain and with swelling and redness of his hands and feet from the chemotherapy he had just finished receiving. The pain was a 10+ on the scale of 1-10. From that point she began caring for him with everything from words of comfort and to giving him pain medicine. The pain continued to increase so she notified the doctor and he increased the dose of pain medicine with no positive effect. The pain team was notified. In the meantime, RN Graef went out of her way to comfort my son. Below is a short list of the many more things she performed on that day.
She continued communications between the doctor, herself, and my son to try and resolve the issue.
She remained in the room despite other patients whom were in her care in which she had her colleagues assist her in providing for them.
She massaged his feet and hands to help alleviate the pain which had a positive outcome.
She developed her own ideas as to other remedies to help including soaking the feet in cold water and wrapping them with ace bandages and ice packs- all of which had a positive outcome.
Not lastly, but I would like to mention that she neglected herself and her own personal needs to attend to my son. One of which is I do not believe she had anything to eat all day. I ordered some lunch and offered her some, but she refused and continued to care for the patient as if I had never mentioned it.
I never saw her take a break therefore there’s no way she could have eaten anything or cared for herself in any way.
The next morning there was a slight improvement in my son which did deteriorate during the day; however, she was caring for him as the day before. I could go on and on to list several more situations she placed herself in to provide care and support, but I believe this is enough to describe not only the RN, but the outstanding character of an individual which can only come from one’s heart.
You can’t learn love and compassion in nursing school; it’s something that comes from within. RN Graef has that something special within that definitely shows on the outside.
Thank you so much for all you’ve done from a parent’s perspective.