Morgan Hayes has always been an exemplary nurse and a nurse that I have looked up to for advice and a mentor since I started at St. Jude. On this particular day, I was extraordinarily proud to be her co-worker.
We have a patient with a very complicated medical journey who, as of lately, has been in a lot of emotional and spiritual distress. His stay had been so complicated that he had been inpatient for months on end and he went from being a playful loving three-year-old to a kid who didn't even say hello when you walked into the room. All he wanted to do was go home.
Morgan was taking care of him the week he was able to go on a pass to Chuckie Cheese, and witnessed the pure devastation the patient had when he returned from his pass to realize that he was still too sick to go home. Morgan, being an RN who is extremely passionate and someone who genuinely cares for her patients, brought into question the patient's quality of life. As an RN it is our duty to advocate for our patients and do what is best for them, and she did nothing short of that. Although it was a difficult conversation to have, she took on the hard phone call and fiercely advocated for her patient. Although this is just one scenario, she steps up to the plate and goes above and beyond for all her patients on a daily basis. I am so thankful to have her on my team and to learn from. Her passion and excellence are something we all should strive for.