I am a patient in the Blood Donor Department. Every other week I receive LDL Apheresis, which is a brand new treatment being offered at Dartmouth-Hitchcock, thanks to my amazing, Cardiologist. This is quite a different experience for me, as I have never been a hospital patient. It is true, how one treats people is a window into their heart and soul and I believe after you read my story regarding Pam Hannigan, RN, you will whole-heartily agree with me, beyond a shadow of a doubt that she is a true DAISY Nurse.
Pam is a bright light and a truly gifted RN. She always greets me with her warm genuine smile and a gentle reassuring hug, a vote of confidence it's going to be a good day with a productive treatment meeting our goals of treated plasma. My nickname for Pam is "Captain Compassionate," as she heads up my awesome "Pit Crew" of nurses, all who generously tend to me. Pam never ceases to amaze me from a myriad of the smallest simplest acts of kindness to her unlimited focused and talented "MacGyver" moves! She always manages to keep the newly acquired Liposorber LDLA machine running and the alarms and red lights dampen down to a minimum, which at times, is no easy feat. Her astute observation is relentless, as Pam, in her calm cool collective way, is always striving to improve the patient's comfort and quality of care. Pam even knows if I need one finger to squeeze or her whole arm and often distracts me with funny stories or chitchat about dogs and horses... who doesn't smile talking about their cherished pets?
I often feel guilty about how well I am treated by my hard-working "Supreme Pit Crew" of nurses.
Dartmouth-Hitchcock is a wonderful hospital... I have frequently said my time at Dartmouth-Hitchcock is better than staying at the Hilton! The Hilton cannot compete with such talented skilled professionals, whose attention to details is superb and to push it over the top the warm blankets, hot packs and fluffed pillows are awesome.
I have full faith, it is no happen-stance that Pam is my nurse. I thank God for placing Pam directly in my path. It will remain unknown if I would have persisted thru my treatments without Pam. I am blessed that she has many special ways and especially a way with words, to disarm and comfort patients so they can persevere, creating a win-win situation. Why? Because that's the way she rolls. Of course always with safety first, Pam carries on, pushing through, even after hours and hours of trials and tribulation of uncooperative veins and a variety of issues, as she always wants to end on a good note, topped off with laughter and her endearing wit.
In closing, I ask, how do you tell a nurse that to the world she might just be one person but to one patient she just might be the world? Well, on the Dartmouth-Hitchcock website, I saw the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses and I thought let's have Pam reap all the tender loving care that she has generously shown to many patients throughout her 30 years of dedicated service. Pam prefers the spotlight not to be on her and is supercalifragilisticexpialidociously humble! She will politely deflect each and every compliment in my story, but believe me, she is well-deserving of the DAISY Award.
Pam is transferring to the Hyperbaric Medicine Department. Excellent for them, but not so much for me and the Blood Donor Room.
On all levels, Pam is a 10-fold keeper, who has unmeasurably touched and improved the quality of my life and will be greatly missed.