In the NICU, Mary Ellen encounters many patients with complex medical conditions. When providing care, she looks beyond the lines, tubes and dressings. She sees little boys and girls that need her help. She is their advocate. She also has a nurturing approach with parents and other caregivers to ensure that her patients receive the best care physically and support emotionally. One of her patients recently celebrated her first birthday. She’s spent the first year of her life in the NICU, with Mary Ellen in her corner. She has had a central line since she was born and a serious case of lymphedema, but under Mary Ellen’s care she’s never experienced a pressure ulcer or bloodstream infection.
Mary Ellen’s dedication to this little girl doesn’t stop with her medical care. She’s also nurtured her adoptive father and helped him make her first birthday special. She arranged for a photographer to come take pictures of the little girl in a new dress and shoes—what every girl wants on her birthday.
“Mary Ellen exemplifies all that is good about nursing—being able to take a difficult situation for a patient and their family and make a life-long difference for them,” a fellow nurse said.