Our nurse Laura Mazza has bonded with a patient who is frequently on our unit. This patient lives in a group home and is severely disabled related to Shaken-Baby Syndrome since infancy. The nurse goes out of her way to make this patient feel comfortable, appreciated and cared for, even when she is not the primary nurse during a hospital admission. The patient is primarily non-verbal except for a few words. Despite this, Laura has taught the patient to play Pat a Cake. The patient lights up when this nurse comes in the room and immediately says, "Pat a Cake" when they are together. This is a patient who has not ever had a family environment and has lived with care-providers since hospitalization for Shaken-Baby Syndrome. The health care proxy is a designated guardian ad litem appointed to make all decisions in the interest of the patient. Our nurse takes on the "motherly" role for this patient and many others. Some patients fondly refer to her as "Ma". Sometimes she is the only one who is effective in calming some of our patients down. She does this in a compassionate way. The best way we have to describe it is motherly.
Laura is not only this way with her patients but with staff as well. They also fondly refer to her as a mother. It is not unusual to hear nurses say that they know it is going to be a good shift because Laura Mazza is the charge nurse. She is the epitome of a great nurse and many of our newer nurses say: "I want to be a nurse like Laura". I believe she is a true DAISY Nurse on our unit.