I am an Occupational Therapist for the hospital-based rehabilitation department and have had the privilege to work with Emily Panakos on a number of occasions while rotating through the cardiac team. Although she always puts her patients first in all that she does, it was her actions today that showed what an extraordinary nurse she truly is. Yesterday, Emily was the nurse for a patient I was working with. Today a colleague on 9C informed me that the patient I had worked with yesterday had to be transferred to the ICU. The colleague continued to tell me that when Emily found out about the patient's transfer, she compassionately informed the patient's husband and, since he was too elderly to drive, offered to pick him up and bring him to the hospital. Today, on her way to work, Emily picked up the patient's elderly husband and brought him to spend the day with his wife.
We all know how early our nurses get to work and to think that she took the time out of her busy morning to get up even earlier to go above and beyond for our patient and their family is a perfect example of the care we provide here at TGH. As I walked by the patient's room in the ICU, I observed the sweetest yet simplest gesture, an elderly man sitting with his wife, holding her hand and supporting her through her medical journey. This little gesture was made possible because of Emily.