July 2015
Mary
Stefano
,
RN
Cardio-Thoracic Intensive Care Unit - CTICU
Maine Medical Center
Portland
,
ME
United States
...regarding the care received by a patient in CTICU around the July 4th holiday. Acuity was very high, even by CTICU standards, with staff giving 110% for days on end. Mary Stefano helped a wife work through her grief following the sudden death of her husband despite heroic efforts to keep him alive. This patient had originally experienced cardiac arrest as he was preparing to transfer to R1 following heart surgery. His arrest resulted in his chest being opened in CTICU to provide cardiac massage (the preferred intervention for post-op hearts). Unfortunately, his wife was in the unit during this emergency and she struggled with witnessing the event. Every effort possible was made to help this patient survive, but he eventually died days later following multiple procedures and interventions.
Mary helped support not only a critically ill patient, but also the patient's grieving wife before and after his death. Her compassion and caring had a significant impact in helping the patient's wife cope with her loss in the short term. This example of compassion in the setting of CTICU during this high acuity time speaks to Mary's strength as a Nurse and as a person. There is no higher standard of nursing care as Mary is at the pinnacle of the slope of practice.
...
I wanted to commend to you the nurses in CTICU for their work over the past week plus with some very tough cases, especially 1014, a 51-year-old gentleman who died today at 12:20.
CNA Margaret, Nurses Arthur, Diana, and Cathy were all extraordinary in their care and compassion. But I would like to especially speak to nurse Mary Stefano's huge heart and gentle care of this patient and his family. She went above and beyond the call of duty as she attempted to care for the wife, lent the wife her own personal cell phone when hers wasn't working, provided words of comfort and tenderness as the course went downhill, brought in chairs and a cold compress for the wife who was looking like she might pass out, joining us for prayers and psalms as we celebrated patient's life and commended him to God, and shed her own private tears of loss as she filled out the appropriate paperwork.
This patient and his loved ones were cared for like family by Mary. In a tragic situation, she stepped up with skill and empathy, and she makes me proud to be a small part of her team. Such care should never go unheralded!
Mary helped support not only a critically ill patient, but also the patient's grieving wife before and after his death. Her compassion and caring had a significant impact in helping the patient's wife cope with her loss in the short term. This example of compassion in the setting of CTICU during this high acuity time speaks to Mary's strength as a Nurse and as a person. There is no higher standard of nursing care as Mary is at the pinnacle of the slope of practice.
...
I wanted to commend to you the nurses in CTICU for their work over the past week plus with some very tough cases, especially 1014, a 51-year-old gentleman who died today at 12:20.
CNA Margaret, Nurses Arthur, Diana, and Cathy were all extraordinary in their care and compassion. But I would like to especially speak to nurse Mary Stefano's huge heart and gentle care of this patient and his family. She went above and beyond the call of duty as she attempted to care for the wife, lent the wife her own personal cell phone when hers wasn't working, provided words of comfort and tenderness as the course went downhill, brought in chairs and a cold compress for the wife who was looking like she might pass out, joining us for prayers and psalms as we celebrated patient's life and commended him to God, and shed her own private tears of loss as she filled out the appropriate paperwork.
This patient and his loved ones were cared for like family by Mary. In a tragic situation, she stepped up with skill and empathy, and she makes me proud to be a small part of her team. Such care should never go unheralded!