In early December, my grandmother was brought into the ED via ambulance for a stroke and Carmen Bruzzi was her 7a-7p nurse. Unfortunately, with the capacity of the ED, my gram was admitted and remained in the ED until a bed became available on BB7. Carmen's compassion and genuine care for my grandmother were exceptional. She made my gram feel comfortable and when she needed something, Carmen ensured that she was tended to in a timely manner. (E.g., gram kept sliding down the stretcher and both Carmen and her colleague, would attend to her and lift her every time she needed, almost every 30 minutes, without any sign of agitation). At the end of Carmen's shift, she came and hugged my gram, held her hand, and told her that she was leaving for the evening and would be thinking of her. She then kissed her on the forehead and told her to get better soon to get back to her dancing!
I have encountered many, wonderful experiences with staff; however, I have to say that I have never encountered such a genuinely caring and compassionate clinician. She treated her patients as if they were one of her own family members, the exact way each and every patient should be cared for. Carmen is a role model for staff in any profession and not only do I appreciate her, but I also admire her.