I gathered statements from several team members who work closely with Larissa. Below are a few of the highlights from those statements.
Social Worker: "Larissa helped me get a patient his meds in Michigan—this was a super tricky task."
Peers: "Larissa is the best team player ever. She steps up at a moment's notice and never complains."
"Larissa goes out of her way to make your day, and ensures she is friendly to all."
"Larissa lessens the stress of the team every day with the way she handles it and what she knows."
New graduate nurse: "Larissa is the most patient, helpful and organized trainer EVER."
Transplant Quality: "Larissa is so kind and clinically well respected by all disciplines from physicians to peers. Incredible transplant knowledge base, efficient nurse, adaptable, and leadership skills abound."
Hepatologist: "I literally don't know what our patients or I would do without her."
Surgeon: "Larissa can take all the calls she wants to because she can handle it all well. But protect her. She's that good."
Manager: "There literally aren't enough words. Larissa is everything her team has said but she also, has trained every other liver nurse we have, kept our patients safe during those extended periods of new staff, is an EPIC resource to members outside the liver team, does community outreach for her living kidney donor program, networks effectively to grow the living donor program, learns the regulations and builds safe and effective systems for the living donor program from entry to post-donation care. She's a solid clinical nurse who doesn't fail to f/u with a patient. She catches safety near misses and corrects. Again, literally not enough words to cover the wonder that she is."
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There is no one specific instance I can pinpoint because Larissa is helpful every day no matter what she has going on. Larissa is always willing to step up and help out whether it is in kidney or liver transplant, and if she doesn't know an answer or how to do something she will find out and make it happen. She is not only a wonderful nurse, but she is also a wonderful co-worker and friend.
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Larissa is an amazing nurse. Her compassion and support of the patients and the program are exceptional. As her supervisor, I often hear of her willingness to support her team, her patients, and the best practice. While the number of stories I have seen or witnessed are too many to explain in this entry, there is, in particular, one story that explains who she is. Larissa took the role of living kidney donor nurse coordinator in the fall of 2018. Since that time she has been an advocate for the patients and the program. We have had multiple people come forward to be altruistic donors (giving to a stranger, unknown and anonymously). Larissa teaches them, helps evaluate them, and partners to find them an appropriate match. One such donor was a unique gentleman whom she led through the process with patience, education, and the utmost compassion. She worked to find him the right match, and in doing so made sure that the gift of life was extended and respected. While talking to this patient he informed me that he knew he sounded like a simple man (he has a heavy, self-professed "redneck" accent that he believes make people treat him with disrespect). He went on to say that he wasn't unintelligent and he often used that to "filter out fake people", he knew that Larissa respected him and spoke to him as an equal. Larissa was patient, answered his questions, explained the process and never took him for granted. Her compassion and dedication to her role were clear to him and he greatly appreciated her for that.