Mary is so compassionate with her patients. She cared for a young patient who had mental challenges and was admitted with Sepsis of unknown origin. He had a love of cats and owned many. He developed HLH, suspected to be secondary to either Cat Scratch fever or a genetic predisposition. The family situation was stressful as his parents were divorced, Dad with a dependency on alcohol and drugs and Mom who was overwhelmed by stress. His mom stayed at the hospital and complained and had altercations with nearly every family in the waiting room. Mary remained calm throughout her care of this young man in Septic Shock, supportive of his mom, who was engulfed with worry, and all, while orienting a new nurse. When this young man died, Mary was there enveloping his mom in her arms as she sobbed uncontrollably. At the end of the shift, she declared that she just wanted to go home and hug her children.
Mary cared for another gentleman, suffering from Alcoholic Cirrhosis, whose younger children were in their teens. As his conditioned deteriorated, he became grossly edematous, with numerous weeping wounds. Mary ministered to all his wounds with the most gentle touch. With clean dressings and linens, pillows propped and positioned, he declared that "no one ever made me feel so comfortable." He settled down with his Redskins hat, scarf and clean gown and drifted off to sleep. When he too died, Mary exuded motherhood in support of his teenage children.
Mary had been called "an Angel" by another patient, once again for her compassionate care.
Mary is an outstanding role model of extraordinary and ethical patient care. The scenarios above demonstrate this. She delivers exemplary care without judgment of the patient's lifestyle. She meets each patient and their family wherever they are at the time and gives them the compassion and support needed in that moment.
Mary is not only extraordinary in her patient care but a model charge nurse as well, with her pulse on the unit and sensitive to the needs of staff as well as patients. She is quick to notice when a nurse needs assistance or a family member needs direction. She guides with both a gentle hand and an open heart.