Mary has been a nursing role model and leader for as long as I can remember. She stepped in as interim director on 5 Central a few years ago when needed and has taken on a leadership role in Cardiology as a Clinical Supervisor. I've been thinking over the past few months how Mary always is focused on the patient and their families, preferring to be in the clinical setting instead of in meetings or working on projects. I want to recognize her for her extraordinary care.
On two recent occasions, Mary has gone over and beyond to help current associates who were family members of those who were in need of our services. In the first situation, Mary came in on her day off to do a stress test on an associate's spouse. A few days earlier this patient came in for a different test in cardiology and a different staff member was working. The associate had assumed Mary would be working (she's a staple on the inpatient side). This caused the family member to become very anxious, not having Mary assist with the test and the fear of the unknown regarding her spouse's test results and how they would tolerate the test. When it was determined the associate's spouse would need further testing in the stress lab, there wasn't any question that Mary would come in on her day off to perform the test. She didn't even have to be asked. Mary had heard that the family had asked for her during the first visit and immediately planned to be the nurse to care for them during their next. This put the associate and patient at ease and they expressed their gratitude upon leaving and again to our director.
The second situation involved a co-worker whose husband was involved in a fatal accident. As I noted earlier, Mary dislikes sitting in a classroom or meeting all day. She would much rather be taking care of people. On Friday she was attending an AIM4Excellence program and was messaging to both me and our director that she wished she was working in the department instead. It must have been fate that she was signed up for the class and out of staffing when she received the information about the accident. She immediately went to the ER to be with her co-worker and support her. She stayed with her for several hours to listen, support and help with any necessary arrangements. She did this selflessly and without thinking. Mary can put her emotions aside and be there for patients and co-workers. I have always admired her for that. She knows what needs to be done and helps get it done. During those hours, she ushered other associates away (to give the co-worker and her family privacy), she made phone calls for the associate and basically did anything she could to make sure that the co-worker was cared for during her time of need.
Mary gives her time and talent to anyone who needs it. She is extremely knowledgeable in the field of cardiology and is very respected throughout the service line. She takes such good care of her providers, they love to work with her because she thinks of all angles and makes sure their day goes well too. In addition to the above, Mary has covered many shifts when needed as we are a small department and have limited resources. When someone is at work and volume is unusually high, they know Mary is only a phone call away. I cannot think of a time that she didn't come in and help when we were busy. She has worked tirelessly with the new EKG archival system to keep everything running smoothly. Mary does not get the credit she deserves most of the time nor does she seek it out. Thank you, Mary, for all that you do.