Myrna Mairena
August 2021
Myrna
Mairena
,
BSN, RN
B5 Medical Unit
Jefferson Methodist Hospital
Philadelphia
,
PA
United States
Myrna recognized that this nurse needed some help and took her aside to a private place.
When Myrna joined our team a few years ago, we just knew she was going to be a perfect addition. As she has established her place within our unit, she has become irreplaceable. Myrna has become the keystone to a great shift on duty among her fellow staff. She is always there to lend a helping hand, whether it be during an emergency or just to lighten someone’s load during a busy time. What makes her actions shine even brighter, are that they always happen quietly and without any prompting or with the expectation of accolades.
Myrna is the definition of a DAISY recipient. There are too many examples to mention them all, but I would like to point out a few that truly made her stand out in the crowd. The first was her empathy and concern for a fellow staff member following a particularly difficult emergency situation. A patient was unresponsive, and a Code Blue was called. The patient was on the way to the ICU following the code when the patient’s family arrived and was quite upset. This situation was escalating quickly and continued until security escorted the family members down to the ICU. When the dust began to settle, the nurse caring for this patient was able to get her thoughts together about what had just occurred; Myrna recognized that this nurse needed some help and took her aside to a private place. She was protecting her, so she had time to reflect and give herself a chance to catch her breath after such an emotional and frightening situation. Her simple actions may have gone unnoticed, but those of us standing there and witnessing her instincts and compassion were astounded at how quickly and thoroughly she assessed the emotional wellbeing of this nurse and knew just what to do, without embarrassing her nor calling extra attention to her.
This is not an uncommon occurrence if you are working with Myrna, she can often be seen giving emotional support to her coworkers, just as often as she does to her patients. The most recent example of her amazing patience and empathy involved a patient on our unit who was very belligerent and violent. This patient had outbursts of profanity and violence which were very unpredictable and frightening. Myrna had the opportunity to care for this patient during several shifts, and they formed quite a bond. She was patient and kind, listening to the patient’s requests and helping to sort out the patient’s behavior. She purchased a reusable coffee mug for the patient to ensure the patient’s coffee stayed hot. Food and coffee were often a source of the patient’s anger, so she thought this might help keep the patient calm. They also developed a little “dance” whenever the patient started to ball up fists in an attempt to intimidate others. She was always very patient and kind. She was an example to us all and made me stop and think about the preconceived notions I had about this patient; Myrna helped give us some tools to care for this patient successfully and she always carved out time to spend with this patient.
These are just a few examples of the many wonderful things she does each shift. Myrna is such an amazing gem we keep hidden here on B5. She is an incredible coworker, preceptor, friend, and all-round great nurse. She embodies all of the traits that make up a DAISY recipient and we would like to recognize her for all she does to make the B5 team so successful.
Myrna is the definition of a DAISY recipient. There are too many examples to mention them all, but I would like to point out a few that truly made her stand out in the crowd. The first was her empathy and concern for a fellow staff member following a particularly difficult emergency situation. A patient was unresponsive, and a Code Blue was called. The patient was on the way to the ICU following the code when the patient’s family arrived and was quite upset. This situation was escalating quickly and continued until security escorted the family members down to the ICU. When the dust began to settle, the nurse caring for this patient was able to get her thoughts together about what had just occurred; Myrna recognized that this nurse needed some help and took her aside to a private place. She was protecting her, so she had time to reflect and give herself a chance to catch her breath after such an emotional and frightening situation. Her simple actions may have gone unnoticed, but those of us standing there and witnessing her instincts and compassion were astounded at how quickly and thoroughly she assessed the emotional wellbeing of this nurse and knew just what to do, without embarrassing her nor calling extra attention to her.
This is not an uncommon occurrence if you are working with Myrna, she can often be seen giving emotional support to her coworkers, just as often as she does to her patients. The most recent example of her amazing patience and empathy involved a patient on our unit who was very belligerent and violent. This patient had outbursts of profanity and violence which were very unpredictable and frightening. Myrna had the opportunity to care for this patient during several shifts, and they formed quite a bond. She was patient and kind, listening to the patient’s requests and helping to sort out the patient’s behavior. She purchased a reusable coffee mug for the patient to ensure the patient’s coffee stayed hot. Food and coffee were often a source of the patient’s anger, so she thought this might help keep the patient calm. They also developed a little “dance” whenever the patient started to ball up fists in an attempt to intimidate others. She was always very patient and kind. She was an example to us all and made me stop and think about the preconceived notions I had about this patient; Myrna helped give us some tools to care for this patient successfully and she always carved out time to spend with this patient.
These are just a few examples of the many wonderful things she does each shift. Myrna is such an amazing gem we keep hidden here on B5. She is an incredible coworker, preceptor, friend, and all-round great nurse. She embodies all of the traits that make up a DAISY recipient and we would like to recognize her for all she does to make the B5 team so successful.