I have worked with Melissa for almost 5 years here at hospice. I have witnessed her compassion, empathy, her assessment, and clinical skills many times. We have had some not so easy patients and families we have had the pleasure of taking care of on the weekends that we work. Melissa will work double shifts. I am usually right there as well. She will have the same group of patients with her over the weekend. There have been many times that she will sit with a patient or family and talk, give a bath or shower to a patient. Let me give just two examples that just happened last week.
Our patient needed help to get on the bedside commode. I, myself, the only aide on the floor, was busy with another patient. When I was finished, I went to check to see what was needed. There is Melissa bathing the patient and changing the bed sheets even though she had a bath the day before. The patient was very sweaty and very thankful for her bath.
Another example is a young man who was admitted to our unit. Constantly climbing out of the bed. Many messes she cleaned up while taking care of him. The patient was supposed to be leaving, but Melissa knew something wasn't right. The Doctor came to do rounds - Melissa voiced her opinion. Long story short, patient stayed with us. Lost count of the times we were in that room together before noon! She was giving him medicine when he decided to spit in her face. She didn't yell - went and washed off her face and came back to his bedside to talk to him. As the afternoon went - Melissa saw how the patient was declining very fast and called his mother. Explained to her about the changes. The patient passed away that evening. Melissa's day of work was still going, to try to help this family with funeral homes, contacting the social worker on call and even the county coroner to get questions answered. These are just 2 examples of how Melissa performs "super-human work that nurses do every day."
Her assessment skills, excellent decision making, collaborating well with the doctor, educating the family, using her clinical skills with the consistent use of nursing and working well with members of the team allowed for us to help the patient stay in the unit instead of being moved somewhere else and pass in a quiet setting with family around.
No matter how big or small the task is - Melissa is always willing to help a patient out.