Becky
Marcum
April 2012
Becky
Marcum
,
RN, BSN
Trauma Unit
Miami Valley Hospital
Dayton
,
OH
United States
I have been in and out of many hospitals and in my time, I have never encountered an extraordinary nurse such as Becky! We need a lot more of her in this world! I would love for her to be recognized for her commitment and compassion. She is an amazing human being and her picture should be in the dictionary next to “nurse”. I am a Stage 4 cancer patient and was in an accident with a semi truck. Becky always made sure I was okay. She went out of her way to take care of me. God does have angels in this world and Miami Valley Hospital is lucky to have this one! People should learn from her. She is very special for this hospital and anyone who comes in contact with her. Thank you, Becky!
Submitted by: a Patient
Becky is a joy to work with. She is always smiling and has a great sense of humor. She is compassionate toward her patients and co workers.
I was truly impressed with her while she was caring for a patient nearing the end of life and dealing with conflicting wishes between himself and his family. Becky was the perfect nurse to care for him. He was NPO for risk of aspiration and would lovingly joke with Becky, “give me one drink of OJ and I’m outta here!” He was referring to the fact that if he drank liquids, he would aspirate and hopefully (per his wishes) expedite his death.
I was team leader on one shift and Becky had this patient who now was actively dying.
This was a huge change from the last shift she had cared for him. Becky was truly disturbed by the fact that his wife was not at the bedside. She kept in constant contact with the wife by phone, updating her every half hour or so. The wife was a very unhealthy person and could not come to the hospital because she did not have anyone to assist her with getting dressed and she did not have transportation. Becky contacted the AO and arranged for the hospital to provide a taxi ride for this wife free of charge. The wife’s response was “I can’t breathe before noon”. Becky told her we would have the taxi pick her up after noon and the wife responded, “I can’t ride in a car with some strange man”. Becky still did not give up. She felt strongly that this wife should be with her husband. Our unit manager was on her way to work and in contact with us by phone. Becky jokingly asked her to “swing by and pick up the wife”. I think if our manager had said yes. Becky would have taken her up on it. Finally the wife called and said her home aide would help her get dressed and bring her in.
E.C. died that day and his wife was at his bedside. Becky cried while performing post mortem care. She was teaching an intern and PCT’s what needed to be done. Crying and teaching. She apologized for being what she thought was “inappropriate”. I told her I did not see where she was inappropriate. The patient touched her life. She had a connection with him. I have never seen a nurse work so hard to make sure a family could be together.
This is the type of care Becky delivers on a daily basis. It is not an isolated incident. Even though she was working hard to unite this family, her other patients had all the attention they needed. Her other patients did not feel slighted. She wore many hats that day. Nurse, social worker, care coordinator, advocate and friend. That is why Becky is a DAISY Nurse!
Submitted by: a Coworker
Becky was caring for a young mother who had been involved in a motor vehicle accident in which her twenty month old daughter did not survive. Obviously this patient was emotionally distraught and difficult to take care of because of the emotional toll it took. During her shift Becky found the patient in bed rolled in the fetal position and crying. Becky took off her shoes and got in bed with the patient and held her as she cried. Later Becky said there was nothing else she could have done and anyone else who had walked in the room at that time would have done the same thing. I am not sure about that, but I am extremely proud and honored to work with an exceptional and compassionate nurse such as Becky.
Submitted by: a Coworker
Submitted by: a Patient
Becky is a joy to work with. She is always smiling and has a great sense of humor. She is compassionate toward her patients and co workers.
I was truly impressed with her while she was caring for a patient nearing the end of life and dealing with conflicting wishes between himself and his family. Becky was the perfect nurse to care for him. He was NPO for risk of aspiration and would lovingly joke with Becky, “give me one drink of OJ and I’m outta here!” He was referring to the fact that if he drank liquids, he would aspirate and hopefully (per his wishes) expedite his death.
I was team leader on one shift and Becky had this patient who now was actively dying.
This was a huge change from the last shift she had cared for him. Becky was truly disturbed by the fact that his wife was not at the bedside. She kept in constant contact with the wife by phone, updating her every half hour or so. The wife was a very unhealthy person and could not come to the hospital because she did not have anyone to assist her with getting dressed and she did not have transportation. Becky contacted the AO and arranged for the hospital to provide a taxi ride for this wife free of charge. The wife’s response was “I can’t breathe before noon”. Becky told her we would have the taxi pick her up after noon and the wife responded, “I can’t ride in a car with some strange man”. Becky still did not give up. She felt strongly that this wife should be with her husband. Our unit manager was on her way to work and in contact with us by phone. Becky jokingly asked her to “swing by and pick up the wife”. I think if our manager had said yes. Becky would have taken her up on it. Finally the wife called and said her home aide would help her get dressed and bring her in.
E.C. died that day and his wife was at his bedside. Becky cried while performing post mortem care. She was teaching an intern and PCT’s what needed to be done. Crying and teaching. She apologized for being what she thought was “inappropriate”. I told her I did not see where she was inappropriate. The patient touched her life. She had a connection with him. I have never seen a nurse work so hard to make sure a family could be together.
This is the type of care Becky delivers on a daily basis. It is not an isolated incident. Even though she was working hard to unite this family, her other patients had all the attention they needed. Her other patients did not feel slighted. She wore many hats that day. Nurse, social worker, care coordinator, advocate and friend. That is why Becky is a DAISY Nurse!
Submitted by: a Coworker
Becky was caring for a young mother who had been involved in a motor vehicle accident in which her twenty month old daughter did not survive. Obviously this patient was emotionally distraught and difficult to take care of because of the emotional toll it took. During her shift Becky found the patient in bed rolled in the fetal position and crying. Becky took off her shoes and got in bed with the patient and held her as she cried. Later Becky said there was nothing else she could have done and anyone else who had walked in the room at that time would have done the same thing. I am not sure about that, but I am extremely proud and honored to work with an exceptional and compassionate nurse such as Becky.
Submitted by: a Coworker