Joy Terry is the nurse who saved my life when I was so ill! If she had not been by my bedside the way she was, been in constant communication with my hospitalist, and told admissions I was too ill to have a roommate in the room with me, I would not be here today! Joy is amazing and was a patient advocate for me. She kept my husband up to speed with what was going on and kept him on a calm footing. I recall being so short of breath following a neb treatment from Respiratory Therapy and I could not get my breath at all. I had to shake the bedrail to get the therapists' attention. The RT got Joy in there and she barely left my bedside all evening long. The other nurses were wonderful enough to take over the other patients so Joy could take care of me. I first prayed for The Lord to take me to Heaven if it was His will. Then I begged my husband, physician, and Joy to please put me on the vent. I just could not get my breath. After the three of them had a conference, she came in and calmly told me that she was going to be with me. She was going to give me IV Ativan and Lasix, monitor my output, and then respiratory was coming to set up the Bi-PAP for me. Joy told me I would be better able to breathe and reassured me she would not leave me. Her assessment skills were excellent. I know without a doubt, were it not for Joy, I would not be here today. She saved my life. Truly.
Every nurse should strive to be like Joy, the epitome of what dear Florence Nightingale envisioned when she developed the definition of a "nurse."