I find myself nervous to write this because I want to write something that does Nathalie Perez justice. In all my years as a physician, I have not met a more positive, hardworking, and humble nurse. I am honored to work side by side with her. I trust her medical skill in a Room 5 Code to provide our patient with the best care and opportunity to survive. When she is assigned to my section of the Emergency Department, I feel confident that my patients will receive the most attentive care. She is the first to offer help and assistance when needed, even if it is not her assigned patient. To Nathalie every patient is her patient if she is needed. That is the type of nurse she is, hardworking.
Her optimism and positivity are infectious. When I am on shift with her, my work is enjoyable. From nightly impromptu dance breaks to lift the staff's spirits or just a simple hug, she spreads this atmosphere of optimism and fun. She has been an integral part of our Positivity Committee in the Emergency Department to improve staff morale. She helped develop the Shining Star Program. This is a board in our Staff Lounge where a staff member can fill out a Star highlighting another colleague's good deeds. This can include a new nurse getting an IV on his first try, helping triage a patient when the Emergency Department is chaotic, giving a shout out for an awesome trauma team, or someone staying late to help. I have noticed since this was implemented the staff is excited about highlighting the talents of their co-workers and the warm feeling you get when you see your name on the board is priceless.
Her compassion for her patients and their families is captivating. I work mostly overnight shifts which for the most part are nonstop. One night shift we had a 16-year-old female who presented with pallor, jaundice, and hepatomegaly. As a teenager the last place you want to be is the Emergency Department. This particular teenager happened to be turning 17 years old at midnight. It is overwhelming to have blood work, ultrasounds and an uncertainty of what is happening in the Emergency Department; now imagine doing this on your birthday. It can add a heightened sense of alarm. Nathalie organized a spur-of-the-moment birthday party for the girl at midnight. We had bubbles, music, a crown, and presents. She gathered the nurses, PCAs, and doctors on shift to surprise our patient with a Happy Birthday celebration. The family was so surprised and grateful, the dad was recording with his phone, the mother was teary eyed and the patient had the most beautiful smile on her face. As we walked out of the room, I could hear the parents and patient raving about the kindness and love they felt at that moment. This is the type of nurse and person Nathalie is. She looks beyond the medicine and the work, looking at the patient and her family as a whole. She provides not only excellent medical care she provides personalized, emotional attention to provide the patient's and families a positive experience in an intimidating situation.
Most importantly, she is humble. She knows her limitations and when to ask for help. I find that the most impressive healthcare providers are the ones who always do what is in the best interest of the patient, ego aside. This is what led me to want to recognize Nathalie. We were both working in the Orange Station of the Emergency Department one busy afternoon. We had multiple patients with high acuity level 2. She is responsible for four rooms, and out of the four, she had three level 2s and a room with two patients (siblings). I had ordered multiple work ups on these patients for they were sick and in need. She put her pride aside and asked for help. It was not the asking that impressed me, it was the reason why. She told me that it was in the best interest of the patient's safety if she focused on a few of the sickest and involve another nurse who can help with the others. This way all the patients could have the best and safest care provided. Instead of selfishly keeping all the patient's and risk the chance of making a mistake and putting a patient in harm, she put her ego aside, because we all know she can handle the stress, complexity, and the sickest patients in the Emergency Department.
From that day on, I held Nathalie in the highest regard. She has every characteristic that a Nurse should embody. Intelligence, positivity, selflessness, cheerfulness, dependability, and humility. In my mind, she is the epitome of a DAISY Nurse.