Melanie N Mowery
June 2025
Melanie N
Mowery
,
BSN, RN
4 East
UPMC West Shore
Mechanicsburg
United States
She treated them like valued individuals, making them feel welcomed and cared for, rather than just another task to complete.
I am proud to nominate Melanie from 4 East for a DAISY Award. We had the privilege of having her on my mom's care team back in January, and she made a significant impact on our experience. Thanks to this nurse, I felt comfortable and confident leaving my mother's bedside after over a week of being present at another hospital and a couple of days at West Shore. Her attentiveness, confidence, and competence shone through, and her genuine kindness made a world of difference. It was clear that she is passionate about her job and takes immense pride in her work. I meant to nominate her back then, but life got busy, and l didn't take the opportunity.
Fast forward three months. My mom returned to UPMC West Shore for an extensive follow-up surgery to reverse her colostomy, remove a blockage, and get her appendix taken out. The surgeon worked for five long hours, quite a feat for anyone, especially an 80-year-old.
The first three days of our stay were tough. We felt my mom wasn't receiving the attention and care she deserved, which was a stark contrast to our previous experience.
On Monday, we were thrilled to see Melanie again as my mom's nurse. Both she and my mom remembered each other, and she was just as caring and supportive as she had been before. That evening, my mom began hallucinating, thinking she saw puppies. She experienced excruciating pain, shivering, and shaking. Melanie
sprang into action, performing a thorough assessment and providing reassurance to our family. We quickly noticed that my mom's eyes were pinpoint pupils, indicating she might not be coping well with the narcotics.
Melanie immediately advocated for my mom, contacting the surgeons. They promptly did a CBC, discontinued the
narcotics, switched her to Ultram, and the surgeon came to assess her as well. Despite the situation, I felt completely at ease leaving my mom in Melanie's capable hands to take my 87-year-old father home. True to her word, she called me with the lab results, which speaks volumes about her integrity and dedication to her patients and their families.
Within 24 hours of being off narcotics, my mom began to improve mentally. Though Melanie wasn't her nurse the following night, she made it a point to come in and check on her. She assisted me in adjusting my mom's position in bed and setting up her tray without being asked. Melanie engaged my parents in conversation about their beach home in Delaware and shared stories from her recent trip there. She treated them like valued individuals, making them feel welcomed and cared for, rather than just another task to complete.
In my 28 years working with nurses, I've encountered many, but few stand out like Melanie. My mom can be a challenging patient at times, but she was consistently treated with kindness, compassion, and understanding. I took great comfort in knowing that my mom was in Melanie's expert care during both of her admissions. She truly deserves this recognition.
Fast forward three months. My mom returned to UPMC West Shore for an extensive follow-up surgery to reverse her colostomy, remove a blockage, and get her appendix taken out. The surgeon worked for five long hours, quite a feat for anyone, especially an 80-year-old.
The first three days of our stay were tough. We felt my mom wasn't receiving the attention and care she deserved, which was a stark contrast to our previous experience.
On Monday, we were thrilled to see Melanie again as my mom's nurse. Both she and my mom remembered each other, and she was just as caring and supportive as she had been before. That evening, my mom began hallucinating, thinking she saw puppies. She experienced excruciating pain, shivering, and shaking. Melanie
sprang into action, performing a thorough assessment and providing reassurance to our family. We quickly noticed that my mom's eyes were pinpoint pupils, indicating she might not be coping well with the narcotics.
Melanie immediately advocated for my mom, contacting the surgeons. They promptly did a CBC, discontinued the
narcotics, switched her to Ultram, and the surgeon came to assess her as well. Despite the situation, I felt completely at ease leaving my mom in Melanie's capable hands to take my 87-year-old father home. True to her word, she called me with the lab results, which speaks volumes about her integrity and dedication to her patients and their families.
Within 24 hours of being off narcotics, my mom began to improve mentally. Though Melanie wasn't her nurse the following night, she made it a point to come in and check on her. She assisted me in adjusting my mom's position in bed and setting up her tray without being asked. Melanie engaged my parents in conversation about their beach home in Delaware and shared stories from her recent trip there. She treated them like valued individuals, making them feel welcomed and cared for, rather than just another task to complete.
In my 28 years working with nurses, I've encountered many, but few stand out like Melanie. My mom can be a challenging patient at times, but she was consistently treated with kindness, compassion, and understanding. I took great comfort in knowing that my mom was in Melanie's expert care during both of her admissions. She truly deserves this recognition.