Susan is a case manager at BHL. I have worked with her for several years and she is positive and hardworking. Susan would always ask how I was doing and was extremely friendly to all of her patients. During her shift, she will make rounds to check on each and every person to see if she can assist in any way. On Sundays, she brings in doughnuts or bagels and makes sure we all have a chance to get one.
Susan encompasses all of the qualities that make an excellent nurse. She shows compassion even in the face of difficulty with patients who are acting out because of their illness. She is known as the person to turn to if you have a patient refusing to leave or is needing help finding a way home. Susan is so helpful to her coworkers and is always willing to lend a helping hand. If there is ever an issue with finding transportation for a patient to go home after a discharge, she is creative in her solutions and consistently a go-to person.
One day I was working and took care of a young single mother with abdominal pain. The patient had brought along her two-year-old and ten-year-old with her without any other adult. I found this odd and asked the patient regarding this. She stated that she was a single mother without any family in the city, but the pain was so intense she had no other recourse but to bring her children. After subsequent testing and exam, it was found that the patient was to be admitted to the hospital for surgery due to a bowel obstruction. The patient became tearful stating she would have to leave against medical advice because no one would care for her children.
Understanding the dire circumstances, I contacted Susan knowing she would know of options that I would not. Susan found a family member from central Kentucky that was willing to drive up to get the children but was unable to afford the cost of gas and food for the children. Susan was able to locate money from petty cash so that the family would be able to travel to Louisville and feed the children so that the mother could have surgery.
Susan is known for her consistent compassionate care. She is a patient advocate always. The department lights up when she clocks in. She is happy to be here, and it shows. She is excellent at her job and more importantly than that is, she takes care of her patients with her heart.
Another example of how Susan exemplifies a DAISY Nurse was when I was taking care of an 18-month-old girl brought in by a non-English speaking guardian. The patient had a high fever, but it was left untreated at home due to the unavailability of medications. With the help of a translator, it was found that the family was unable to afford antipyretics and only had the medication given to them from the Family Health Clinic.
With the help of Dr. D, the patient was sent home with Tylenol, Motrin, and antibiotics with directions in Spanish. Susan found that after further conversation that there was another infant in the home without formula or a car seat. She was able to procure a car seat for both children along with formula and diapers. The family had arrived at our hospital without even a diaper bag for the child.
Susan's leadership, knowledge, family-centered approach, and innovation have shaped and impacted numerous nurses, patients, families, and the unit as a whole. I am honored to have gotten the opportunity to learn from and look to her as a role model for what I want to be in the future. Susan is an extraordinary nurse.