Brooke is determined to make our unit and our institution a better place for our patients and their families. Coworkers can easily approach her about anything because she is a genuine listener. She is an active member of the Unit Council where she volunteers to work on numerous projects. She strives to always learn more and improve patient outcomes. All this pales in comparison to the outstanding care she provides to patients and their families.
Brooke recently cared for a patient who was very critically ill requiring CRRT, numerous medications, and very extensive wound cares. The level of empathy in Brooke's care for this patient was simply impressive. She utilized her specialized CRRT skills to aggressively treat his fluid overload status while balancing his hemodynamic stability, all while paying special attention to pain control. She was an advocate for this patient's plan of care while respecting the family's wishes. Despite the tremendously emotionally draining situation, she even signed up to work extra and care for this patient to ensure continuity of care towards the end of his life. She discussed risks and benefits of interventions with the physicians and advocated for not only the patient, but also for the beliefs of the nursing staff.
Brooke became the primary nurse for a long term patient who then became very critically ill requiring ECMO. Despite not being assigned this patient, she is able to act as a historian and advocate for him and his pain control. She frequently checks in with the family to offer support and inquire about their children at home. For these reasons and many, many others, I strongly believe Brooke exemplifies the type of nurses we should strive to be and the care we should aim to provide our patients and their families. She is an outstanding role model, care provider, and coworker.