Madison took care of me a few months ago when I came in with full body weakness due to migraines and made sure all of the boxes were checked to make sure everything was okay, took great care of me and made sure I was comfortable, and also administered all medications with safety and provided great education. Here I am again, and Madison is now my dad’s nurse. She is so personable and wanted to get to know my dad's story. She admitted she wanted to learn and sat in the room with us on 2 separate occasions to ask questions, and you could tell we were her first priority. She was always willing to do anything we asked, wherever we needed it, and, as she stayed, “I will always ask.” She meant this as my dad was needing pain medications as he has stage 4 cancer, and takes pain medications often, she made sure the doctor ok’d them so they were ready for him when needed, along with his extra bolus dose where needed. Again, she took great care of my dad and made sure to get to know and understand him while always keeping us updated on the plan and how things were going! Being a caregiver for your parent is no easy job, and she listened to me just as she did him, and that means more than anyone would ever know. I could not express enough appreciation and applause for her and for the care she has given not only me but also my dad.

***

After a busy night, I came on shift with Madison. We were both assigned to work core 1 along with another nurse. During shift change, we were informed of a critical patient whose family had just decided to make her comfort care. Upon getting up to work core 1 I discovered this was a relatively young patient, so I'm sure this came as a huge surprise to her family, adding to the emotional stress that they are already facing with the decision to soon withdrawal life support and allow the patient to pass. The third nurse who was assigned took over care of this patient, and Madison and I both received reports on the other patients. As soon as we had finished the report, Madison saw a few members of the critical patient's family standing outside the room. Madison took the time to approach these family members, offer them coffee or water, and even offer them emotional support, a listening ear, and hugs, which both family members quickly accepted. Madison responded to a challenging moment in these family members' lives, when they faced unexpected loss, by providing compassion and care. Madison had an impact on those family members' lives and was a shining example of compassion and care during some of the most difficult times our patients and their families face.