Madison McClear
May 2023
Madison
McClear
,
RN
Emergency Department
Trinity Health Oakland
Pontiac
,
MI
United States
Not only could I count on Maddie in this case, but she also balanced the emotions of a grieving mother, family, the dignity of this child, medical examiners, and law enforcement to name a few. Maddie was the rock we stood on.
Maddie went above and beyond for the ER. She stepped up during a very difficult situation in the untimely death of a child. She helped coordinate care of multiple critical patients so the team could focus their efforts on the child. She never hesitated to help when asked. She then was able to seamlessly step up and help care for the family members of the child all while keeping a professional calm manner. She is truly an exceptional nurse and person.
***
I am a nurse in the emergency department at St. Joe's Oakland. I have over ten years of experience in emergency room nursing and have worked in five emergency rooms, from level one trauma centers to little rural Eds with two nurses on for night shift. I’ve had the pleasure of working side-by-side with Maddie now for a little over two years. She is probably one of the most quietly competent nurses I’ve worked with so far, always positive, soft-spoken, but impressively assertive.
Saturday night was a challenging night for us. As a charge nurse I walked into a 5-year-old drowning victim with a very challenging family dynamic. Maddie was my trauma nurse. Tragically, we were not able to revive the patient. As expected, emotions were high with staff including the physician, and the EMS crew that transported the patient as were several law enforcement officers that had responded. Intense situations like this test your character and like it or not you’re not the same person afterward. A common pattern that I’ve noticed when it comes to this kind of intensity is who becomes visible, who can be counted on, and unfortunately who cannot be. Not only could I count on Maddie in this case, but she also balanced the emotions of a grieving mother, family, the dignity of this child, medical examiners, and law enforcement to name a few. Maddie was the rock we stood on. She is a DAISY Nurse not just for this case but for all the cases leading up to this one, all the moments that she chose the high road and stepped out of her comfort zone and did the right thing by the patient. I felt compelled to tell this story and it is my hope that something positive can be born from tragedy.
***
I am a nurse in the emergency department at St. Joe's Oakland. I have over ten years of experience in emergency room nursing and have worked in five emergency rooms, from level one trauma centers to little rural Eds with two nurses on for night shift. I’ve had the pleasure of working side-by-side with Maddie now for a little over two years. She is probably one of the most quietly competent nurses I’ve worked with so far, always positive, soft-spoken, but impressively assertive.
Saturday night was a challenging night for us. As a charge nurse I walked into a 5-year-old drowning victim with a very challenging family dynamic. Maddie was my trauma nurse. Tragically, we were not able to revive the patient. As expected, emotions were high with staff including the physician, and the EMS crew that transported the patient as were several law enforcement officers that had responded. Intense situations like this test your character and like it or not you’re not the same person afterward. A common pattern that I’ve noticed when it comes to this kind of intensity is who becomes visible, who can be counted on, and unfortunately who cannot be. Not only could I count on Maddie in this case, but she also balanced the emotions of a grieving mother, family, the dignity of this child, medical examiners, and law enforcement to name a few. Maddie was the rock we stood on. She is a DAISY Nurse not just for this case but for all the cases leading up to this one, all the moments that she chose the high road and stepped out of her comfort zone and did the right thing by the patient. I felt compelled to tell this story and it is my hope that something positive can be born from tragedy.