I am proud to nominate Nurse Judy McManus, 3 West, for the Daisy Award, but first I need you to know a little bit about me and where I am coming from. I served 30 years as a Marine and almost 20 of those years I was forwardly deployed. Which means I was not home enjoying the normal family life. I was helping the President support his foreign policy and most of this was in Harm's Way. I've seen a number of times medical care was needed and too many of those meant life and death. This is not about me. This is about a Medical Professional that I encountered who goes far beyond what her everyday duties are, Nurse Judy.
About a week back, I underwent a Gallbladder Operation. Please don't let anybody tell you that it is an easy operation and you will be in and out with a minimum of recovery time. My operation took place on a Friday and I was back in the hospital's Emergency Room on Saturday with severe pain in my chest. I have been shot, stabbed and blown-up and never felt such pain. I will admit that I am not and was not an easy patient during my stay. I went through several nurses during my stay, but Nurse Judy was the first one on the team that finally understood how the doctor wanted my pain managed and by working with me and not against me. When Nurse Judy came on shift, I knew that she was in charge and it seemed like I was her number one patient. Nurse Judy took the time to discuss with me the doctors' plan for my pain management. In the plan I had the option of using two pain medications either at full dose or at a lower dose one hour prior to the full dose to get through my pain level. We had been keeping track of my pain level and I was staying between levels three and four. Nurse Judy and I had talked about what I wanted as the patient with pain management. The doctors on Ward 3 assumed that they knew what was best for me. I had told everyone that I did not want to depend on the drugs but also other alternatives such as heat at the pain location and exercising. On one instance when I was experiencing sharp pain (above level 4), I spoke to Nurse Judy on the phone, not knowing she was right outside my room, and told her I needed pain medications although it was not time yet for the full dose. She told me "The choice is yours. If you can wait an hour, you can get the full dose." I told her that I would gut it out. She then stepped into my room and stated "I knew that you could do it Marine." She challenged me and knew that I could do it. Nurse Judy understood what a Marine; even a retired Marine was capable of.
Words alone are not enough to explain all she did while I was an inpatient. Her knowledge in her field so impressed me that I knew I was in good hands. As busy as nurses are these days, somehow she found time to assist me to change my procedures because the PCTs were very busy and helped me in managing my pain. It showed a great example of the team player she was. Every shift change she introduced me to the duty nurse and pretty much gave them a mini report on how my day was and what to look out for. She did an outstanding job and finally through various medication adjustments, my pain is now under control. Nurse Judy went above and beyond her normal duties. I could not be more honored to put Nurse Judy in for this Special Award.