You might have noticed the uplifting signs all across the parking lot wall when you enter Thornton or Jacobs Medical Center. Uplifting signs that say thank you to every single department - nursing, doctors, respiratory therapy, information services, EVS, lab, social work, CCPs, rehab therapy, etc. These signs were created by one of our new grad nurses, Lauren Hoyos, on the 3F Neuro ICU. While she did not seek credit for this act of kindness, a few of her colleagues were discussing how nice it was to see signs outside the hospital, and later found out that Lauren was behind this sneaky, thoughtful gesture.
To many of those who work with Lauren, this was not a surprise. Lauren is often found going above and beyond to bring light and joy to her co-workers and to her patients. For example, in the stroke population, some patients require up to 14 to 21 days of intensive monitoring in the ICU.
This long confinement to the ICU is grueling to most patients who are alert and oriented but are at high risk for life-threatening stroke-related complications. They are in the ICU for intensive neuromonitoring (often receiving little to no sleep because they are being examined hourly), strict blood pressure control, and often connected to many tubes, lines, and technology that beep throughout the day and night. Lauren celebrates each patient and each day, as she tries to bring a little bit of home to each patient's stay.
She has created countdowns, decorated patient rooms with colorful pictures, pictures of family members, and celebrations of birthdays and milestones. Pictures and videos of her signs were shared multiple times on social media by various departments reflecting how impactful and appreciated by all the health heroes during this pandemic. One team member coined it the "UCSD Wall of Thanks". So, when it was discovered that Lauren was behind the beautifully made inspiring signs outside of Thornton/Jacobs, it was no surprise to us and to her co-workers!
It is evident that Lauren is passionate about her job and nursing, and above all - was born to be a DAISY Nurse!! In such challenging and unpredictable times, Lauren has been a positive energy and support for our team. As a new graduate nurse in the ICU, Lauren displays not only the critical thinking skills and the immense knowledge to care for such vulnerable patients, but also displays the compassion and love for uplifting and healing others!