Yesenia is already a leader on 4-SW through her excellent clinical skills on the floor, her teaching and precepting work, committee contributions, and work as both resource and charge RN roles. Already extraordinary, Yesenia demonstrated compassion above and beyond the call of duty in order to arrange a special treat for one of our patients.
The patient is a 29-year-old female who had been hospitalized for nearly 2 months. On Valentine's Day, Yesenia felt empathy for the lady who couldn't spend the day with her boyfriend and couldn't even share our cupcakes and cookies due to her NPO status. Yesenia also noted that the patient had also spent Christmas and her birthday in the hospital. In her quest to figure out an appropriate way to celebrate given the patients numerous medical complications, Yesenia asked the doctor if the patient could have a manicure/pedicure. There was no medical reason why that would be unsafe, the doctor said. Yesenia consulted the social worker for our unit to find out what volunteer services were available. It turned out that a nearby volunteer nail technician had a waiting period of one day to two weeks. Not wanting the patient to have to wait, Yesenia contacted a local salon who agreed to visit the patient in the hospital and provide the mani/pedi before regular salon hours and to be paid in cash. Yesenia arrived an hour early to work the next day, to complete the coordination and pay the $100 cash of her own money to surprise our very deserving patient. Upon hearing the story, members of the staff all chipped in to pay her back, although she wouldn't have asked us. The patient was completely surprised and giddy over her impromptu "Spa day". Her mother cried.
Yesenia looked beyond the numerous tasks of her daily grind, recognized a patient's very human need and went to extraordinary length to meet that need. Her compassion and tenacity enabled a chronically ill young woman to have an hour of normalcy. We are all inspired by her.