Melissa Eppard, BSN, RN

An elderly couple was seen in Melissa’s section. The wife had been struggling to navigate insurance and care for her husband, who recently suffered a stroke that left him with significant deficits. Unrelated to his stroke, a new issue arose that warranted a consult and visit to ortho. The patient’s wife mentioned how challenging and costly it was for them to transport the patient to and from assisted living for appointments. Thankfully, the ortho office had a cancellation! However, it was almost immediately necessary for the patient to be there. Melissa stepped up and got the patient discharged so they would not have to make a second trip to the RMH campus. Melissa pushed this patient in a wheelchair, accompanied by his wife, from the main hospital, outside, and across campus to ensure the patient arrived at the orthopedic appointment on time. The elderly couple was incredibly thankful for her efforts to help them resolve this matter quickly and with minimal stress. The contributions of Emergency Nurses are often overlooked due to the brief time a patient spends with them. Melissa is always an advocate for her patients and goes above and beyond in everything she does! I personally aspire to be at least half the nurse and kindhearted individual she is!