I had the pleasure of working with Theresa over the past year in South Philadelphia. Theresa always exemplifies compassion and such a high level of dedication to all patients. Her communication with team members including physicians and community resources highlights her strong work ethic with every single patient encounter and her team focus in order to provide the highest level of care for her patients. What is more striking is that Theresa will always seek out advice and opinions of her peers, showing the respect that she has for all disciplines. She is truly a team "leader" on our team.
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We are working with Theresa in one of the most challenging cases we have experienced since working in home care. This case consists of a family of four- two elderly parents in their late 80's with two adult sons in their late 50's, each with varying degrees of intellectual disability. The eldest, higher functioning son, has taken care of the family for years and has been hospitalized for 6 weeks for his own illness. This leaves the family heartbroken because they rely on him so much and they hate being separated. This is a very close family unit.
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Theresa is case managing two patients (mother and son) who both require extensive care and assistance. This family is facing so many challenges: significant health issues, psychosocial issues, environmental, and financial issues. The elderly family patriarch is doing his best to care for the family as he has done for so many years. Both mother and son are bedbound and require wound care. The primary caregiver (husband/ father) of both patients is overwhelmed and is showing signs of physical exhaustions and cognitive decline, rendering him somewhat incapable of providing the high level of care that the two clients require. The primary caregiver of both patients has been having a difficult time catching up with everything that has been going on; due to his age and cognitive decline. The house is infested with bed bugs causing all staff to wear the white bed bug jump suits with booties, gloves, and other protective equipment.
Theresa also spends considerable time explaining medication management and her plan of care to the primary caregiver, offering resources to make it easier for the entire family. Theresa has spent countless additional hours outside of visits to engage members of the local church that the father trusts to help convince him to accept services. Theresa has worked extensively with the physician, the team, office management, and community resources to facilitate best possible care for this family.
No matter what the concern or the amount of time it takes to resolve it, Theresa remains pleasant, professional and caring. During our visits, Theresa must kneel on the hospital bed to manage the son's multiple wounds while we stand him. Each time Theresa provided care to the patient, she is subject to resistance in the form of agitation, shouting, and often cursing. She does not take this personally and still manages to get the job done. In order to keep him calm, she sings him his favorite Christina Aguilera songs and dances for him in order to provide excellent care and gain the patient's trust. Her voice is beautiful and calming. It relaxes him and makes him smile. Most of all, Theresa keeps a smile on her face, treats each member of this family with respect and dignity and never makes the family feel uncomfortable. Despite all these barriers, and the physical, social, and psychological complexity of both patients, Theresa has demonstrated admirable attributes of Professionalism, Patience, Compassion, Empathy, Selflessness, Unconditional Love, Trust, and Teamwork with every visit she makes in the home.
Each co-worker went on to state the following:
"Theresa is truly compassionate about her chosen career as a nurse. I am truly honored and very proud to be working with such an excellent individual who exemplifies all the ideals of a "true" nurse. Thank you, Theresa, for making a positive difference to the lives of others!"
"Theresa is an asset to our company and to the nursing profession. I am proud to work alongside this wonderful gift, Theresa."
"Theresa has been an inspiration to me on this case and even after 22 years in the field, I find myself inspired by this young nurse who is so deserving of this award. I am proud to honor my colleague for The DAISY Award and believe she has all the attributes of an excellent Main Line Health nurse."