Maggie cared for a critical patient who was stable throughout the majority of our shift; however quickly decompensated around 6 pm. The decision was made by the care team that the patient needed to be emergently med flighted to Boston for ECMO. It turned out that med flight was a 4-hour wait, and ALS was the only option. Once ALS arrived, the ALS crew reported they could not take the patient as they were too critical. Without batting an eye, Maggie volunteered to accompany ALS in the ambulance to ensure the patient arrived in Boston as quickly and safely as possible. She coordinated with our Nurse Practitioner, the ALS crew, Respiratory, and her fellow RN's to ensure the patient was transferred as quickly and safely as possible. Maggie's demeanor normally comes across as reserved and quiet, but watching Maggie's leadership and dedication towards her patient's safety take over in those next few moments was admirable and incredible. I was in awe of her. Because of Maggie's bravery and commitment to her patient (even HOURS after her scheduled shift ended), the patient survived the trip into Boston. She unexpectedly ended up working a 16-hour shift, and yet still arrived the next morning to continue to care for the other critical patients in our unit.
This is just one example of Maggie's commitment to her patients. Her time management skills are impeccable, and she is always quick to volunteer a helping hand to her coworkers. She carries herself extremely professionally, always advocates for her patients, and is very personable with her colleagues. She is a great asset to our team at BI Needham, and I am proud to call her my coworker and friend.
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As an RN for 48 years, I was anxious about being admitted to the ICU with a diagnosis of sepsis. Maggie exuded confidence in her nursing, and I immediately felt that I was safe in her care. She continually kept me up to date and explained everything, and checked to see if I understood what was going on.
I was very diaphoretic, and Maggie washed my hair daily with the cap shampoo. It might seem like nothing special, but it made me feel so wonderful and human. Having challenges with my kidneys and bowels, she never made me feel embarrassed or ashamed that I needed help. She always showed respect to me and did whatever she could to let me know she saw me as a person. Every 12-hour shift that she cared for me, Maggie went above and beyond. One example is that after I took myself back to bed from the bedside toilet (which I was told not to do alone), Maggie put the alarm on my bed so that next time the nurses would be notified if I tried to get up. She did not shame me; in fact, we laughed about her knowing me too well. Also, my family was nervous that I was so sick, and my older brother didn't want me to be alone, so he stayed for a long time. Maggie offered to be the fall guy and tell him I needed my rest if I wanted her to, so that it wouldn't be coming from me. She was definitely one of the best nurses I have ever had and made my stay in the ICU less scary. She would check back with me after the providers had left and ask me if I had any questions or concerns. She helped me work through the idea of a PICC line being placed. Due to her expertise and compassion for seeing me as a person, not as a number of tasks to be completed, I totally put my trust in her care. Maggie Sullivan gives me hope for the future of nursing.