We had a patient who had been on our unit for a couple of weeks. On this particular day, Paula Woodlief was his nurse.
From the start, Paula's instructions were clear- we are getting out of bed and sitting in the chair! While she was funny and compassionate in her directions for the day, you could tell she was very determined to meet those goals. The patient didn't seem all that willing to comply, but Paula was not taking no for an answer.
This patient was a large man and a very sick man. While it took Paula and two techs to move him, they got the patient up in a cardiac chair, sitting tall, looking good, and most of all, smiling! It was the first time I had seen this gentleman smile since he arrived on the unit. The pride and happiness that comes with mobility was evident!
Later that day, I walked out of the unit and was immediately hugged by the wife of this patient. "Did you see him? Doesn't he look great?" she cried! Both she and her son had been calling family and friends to report on how the patient was up and smiling! They could not have been happier and you could sense they now truly believed he was going to get better.
During the course of the day Paula put him back to bed to rest, then back up in the chair. She never stopped encouraging him and wouldn't let him quit. Her tenacity and focus on patient care and mobility is ever present. I won't forget what a joyous day this patient and family had and I attribute it to Paula and her "you can do this" attitude.
Not every day turns out this wonderful, but I am incredibly proud of Paula as this is the energy and commitment she brings for her patients every shift. It is a pleasure to nominate her for the DAISY Award.