It was not long after I began working at JCMC when a patient asked that a specific nurse be reassigned to her case; this to me has always signified a strong bond between patient and nurse. This was not a one-time occurrence; it happens on a regular basis. Jersey City is culturally diverse and the vast majority of our patients are on the lowest end of the socioeconomic scale; this alone makes working in Jersey City challenging. However, when these patients openly welcome someone so different from their self into their home, it is easy to see that she openly accepts them for who they are.
She has an ongoing communication with multiple physicians. Recently a physician stopped me in the hall of the hospital and stated that he had been talking to Elizabeth about another patient and was wondering if we could help him with another of his patients. Good communication is priceless!
Liz’s commitment to the well being of her patient is extraordinary. Recently one of her patients was DC with orders for a wound vac. She was discharged before the order was confirmed by the DME Company and the hospital case manager failed to send some necessary documentation. Each time the company requested more documentation, she went the extra mile so that this patient could get the wound vac. Initially it was blood work including physician orders, more documentation by the physician, a nutrition consult and finally wound care photos. Her dedication to this patient will forever stay with me as when the wound vac company told me that the photos were too dark. Her response was, “you have to be kidding me, the lighting was very poor, and I took those photos with a flashlight in my mouth!”
It took nearly thirty days to get the approval for the wound vac, but she never gave up. I admire her and find her truly deserving of this award!