Mollie joined the MMC ICU family about a year ago and the impact she has had on her peers, her patients, and their loved ones is truly touching. Though her time with us may be short, Mollie has already left her mark on us. Her level of commitment and compassion is something that all our staff strives to achieve. While many of us go into the nursing field to help patients improve and get better, that is not always the reality of our career. Recently, Mollie assumed care of a patient from the ER to the MICU. Her patient was very ill and was given a poor prognosis. Although her patient ended up passing, she made sure they did so with comfort and dignity. The family was supported and comforted during the entire process and the communication between them was extremely fluid. So much so, that less than 24 hours after the passing of their mother, the family felt so compelled to send a letter of gratitude for the care their loved one received. Please see the attached letter (below), submitted by the patient's daughter. Mollie is a true DAISY Nurse.
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Before the reality of grief overcomes me, I wanted to take a moment to share the incredible experience my family had all day yesterday both in the ED and in the MICU. My mom was brought in, intubated from home yesterday morning with grim prospects. We received so much compassion and care from the beginning and then onto the MICU where my mom remained.
Mary "Mollie" Sullivan, RN was our nurse in the MICU and I can't even begin to explain how heavenly her presence was for us. From the outset, her calm and compassionate demeanor put my sisters, my dad and brother in law at ease by explaining every step of my mom's situation. She cried with us when the doctor informed us that she was being kept alive by the breathing tube and meds to keep her blood pressure up and her kidneys were failing and lungs as well. When we finally came to the agreement to extubate my mom it was during a shift transition and Mollie introduced us to the evening nurse, who was very sweet.
Again, Mollie compassionately explained how everything would occur during the breathing tube removal process and the meds for pain that would be administered but what I realized as we stood vigil by my mom's side to the end, was that Mollie was there with us too. I turned to her and questioned why she was there when her shift clearly ended a least an hour prior. She told us so beautifully that, "she was where she was supposed to be". I can't fully express how extraordinary Mollie is and was for our family. She cried with us and felt like a long-time friend and made the passing of my mom the most peaceful experience that we could have expected.
I am so grateful for all that you and the team members at MMC have done for me and my mom over the past year and a half of her battles and wanted to let you know how much we appreciate it.
My mom passed last night at 8:30 pm and we are so grateful for the compassionate care that we all received in her final moments.