Marilyn Johnson is an excellent example of what embodies the core values of nursing. I have witnessed Marilyn at the bedside of numerous patients. I've watched her hold their hand and bring them blankets, water, food, anything they've needed. She has gone out of her way to contact families, social services, and other resources for the patient. She has shed tears with many families. She has also gone out of her way to make sure the staff has nutrition - doing whatever she could to help them steal a few minutes of solitude when they needed a break from the pace.
This week, I watched Marilyn be a tremendous patient advocate. She identified an individual, who, through a series of unfortunate circumstances, was suffering from a life-altering medical condition that could not be treated elsewhere. Through her advocacy, she included administration in helping ensure the patient was getting every resource we had available. She called numerous outside facilities on behalf of the patient; even when they said they could not take the patient, she sought their advice on treatment techniques that we could use here to enable the patient to recover to the best of their ability. By her own account, she was so concerned with this individual that she was up in the middle of the night, researching the latest therapy and treatment for his condition. Her compassion, empathy, and work-ethic should stand as a model for new nurses and a reminder to seasoned nurses of what we should all strive for with our coworkers and patients.