May 2021 Honoree
NP3
Michelle D'Alessandro, Director of Nursing for Medicine • Michele Applegate, Patient Care Manager II • Nicci Domanski, Patient Care Manager II • Taylor Lurz, Assistant Patient Care Manager • Rossana Oakley, Clinical Nurse Specialist • Angela Stephens, RN IV • Jessica Ferrigno, RN III • Aurolanda Bolus-Peralta, RN II • Taylor Stevens, RN II • Molly Lemanski, RN II • Katlyn Easter, RN II • Kelsey Buyl, RN I • Adela Williams, Patient Care Technician • Wynie Kahler, Patient Care Technician • Helen Suduba, Patient Escort • Tillie Horak, Nursing Unit Secretary
When the COVID positive cases started to surge in March 2020, this unit was converted into Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center’s first Bio-Mode unit. Because it functioned as the Emergency Department observation unit, we did not have the medicine nurses to staff it. Courageous volunteers from other medicine units, redeployed staff, and the Hospital’s Float Pool came together to support and staff this unit. When it opened, we all believed it was for a short period of time. Eight months later, we are still here, but more equipped to care for these critical patients.
Despite the stressors of taking care of COVID patients and the mental toll that seeing death at these numbers can have, the staff working on this unit maintain an outstanding attitude and I have never witnessed a more can-do group of people. They are utilized as COVID resources throughout the hospital. For this group of people, it is not just one situation that clearly demonstrates why they make a difference in the patients’ care, but every shift they show up to work. This team has a true “our patients” versus “your patients” mentality, working as a team to ensure the highest quality of care is delivered to every single patient.
The patients we care for are isolated, scared, and alone. On most days, we are their only human interaction and not one of the staff members takes that for granted. All of the staff is willing to go above and beyond for the patients, from advocating for a long term patient to have a visit with her husband after a month of not seeing each other, to celebrating a birthday with a piece of cake and arranging for a family Zoom session to sing “Happy Birthday”.
As Rawsi Williams said, “To do what nobody else will do, in a way that nobody else can, in spite of all we go through; is to be a nurse.”
Despite the stressors of taking care of COVID patients and the mental toll that seeing death at these numbers can have, the staff working on this unit maintain an outstanding attitude and I have never witnessed a more can-do group of people. They are utilized as COVID resources throughout the hospital. For this group of people, it is not just one situation that clearly demonstrates why they make a difference in the patients’ care, but every shift they show up to work. This team has a true “our patients” versus “your patients” mentality, working as a team to ensure the highest quality of care is delivered to every single patient.
The patients we care for are isolated, scared, and alone. On most days, we are their only human interaction and not one of the staff members takes that for granted. All of the staff is willing to go above and beyond for the patients, from advocating for a long term patient to have a visit with her husband after a month of not seeing each other, to celebrating a birthday with a piece of cake and arranging for a family Zoom session to sing “Happy Birthday”.
As Rawsi Williams said, “To do what nobody else will do, in a way that nobody else can, in spite of all we go through; is to be a nurse.”
Thank you for your exceptional compassion, advocacy, and dedication to your patients. You truly make a difference.
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