It takes a special type of person to be a critical care nurse. You must be decisive, calm, easily driven by adrenaline, dedicated to the details, and relentless when watching for deterioration, ALL while constantly pursuing improvement. I have watched this nurse practice with this such determination. A personal experience with a crisis in her own family has made Lisa super effective during our very recent COVID-19 crisis days. Without family being present, it is easy to forget that they even exist during a hectic ICU shift. There is so much to do, monitor, administer, and document that it is easy to forget the unseen. However, Lisa went out of her way to care for her patients plus connect with their families.
A story was relayed to me through the eyes of a brand-new ICU nurse: with amazement, he shared that Lisa brought a teddy bear to one of her patients who was special needs. It was her birthday. These moments are easily overlooked, but the impact has a ripple effect on the patient, the hearts of her family who could not be with her, and as an example of care and compassion for this new nurse. As we all lived through the nightmare of not being with our loved ones in the hospital, when and where they are needed most, this nurse was my hero for being there as much for the families as for the patients.