September 2013
Tamara
Niemiec
,
RN
Oncology/Medical Floor (1 GPU)
Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital
West Bloomfield
,
MI
United States
A few weeks ago, Tammy and Dr. I had the devastating task of informing their patient that her cancer has spread, and is now at a stage IV. I accompanied Tammy and the doctor at the patient's bedside. While there at the bedside, I witnessed Tammy go beyond the role a nurse, and transition with grace and compassion to a friend, a pillar of strength, a listener, and an overall breath of fresh air to not only the patient, but to the field of nursing.
Tammy sat with the patient, whom she had grown to know during her hospital stay, held her hand, and was truly there for her while she was receiving her terrible health news. The doctor delivered the news with a great sense of compassion and gentle ease. Tammy was there to bridge the gap between hearing the worst news of your life, to taking those first steps in trying to move forward with life. Tammy remained with the patient, still holding her hand and wiping her tears. She asked her questions about calling her family in for additional support, and went out of her way to find a wheelchair and enough staff to safely transport the patient from bed to the chair. It was a beautiful July day, and Tammy thought it best to get the patient out of bed and outside to enjoy the weather with her family.
Tammy has a way at the bedside that cannot be taught in any school, it is something that comes so natural to her and it is if that moment was the only thing she had going on that day. She has a way of making the patient feel like she was the only patient in the hospital that her needs were 100% taken care of, and most importantly, that the patient felt such a level of comfort with Tammy, she was able to open up about her diagnosis/prognosis and her family concerns. As a bystander, I felt as though I was watching two lifelong friends sharing in a life altering moment. When the patient's family arrived, Tammy knew to give her patient space and time to enjoy her family. Tammy seems to possess the perfect balance of being with her patients and allowing them space to let everything settle in. She allows them to feel like they have a bit of control over a situation where control seems to be lost.
On the day that our beloved patient lost her battle against cancer, Tammy told me she was so surprised and visually upset at home that her daughter asked her what was wrong. Health care workers often say not to bring our work home with you. But Tammy says that we are all human. She says that she is a little on the humorous and goofy side at work because life can be cut short at any time. Sometimes it's having these genuine, uncontrollable human emotions that allow nurses like Tammy to make such memorable, lasting, and personal moments with patients.
In addition to nominating Tammy, I would like this to be in memory of our patient and her family, who was taken too quickly and too soon, but showed us what a fighter looked like.
...
Tammy is a wonderful caring nurse. I am not sure if I will be able to describe her passion. I was impressed by her skills. She admitted a very nice gentleman with lymphoma for chemotherapy. The chemotherapy was running slow because of his low blood pressure. She was only supposed to work till 5pm that day but she volunteered to stay till 11pm to give him his chemotherapy as there was nobody else to do it. She puts her patients at the center. I observed her one day buying her patient a regular Pepsi from her own money as she could not get it to her from the kitchen.
She has an outstanding performance in the care of variety of patients and dealing with their medical issues. I have received numerous unsolicited comments from her peers, physicians as well as her patients that Tammy is consistently dependable, courteous and effective in her role. Patients comment on her pleasant demeanor and compassion, she has solid medical knowledge, strong work ethic and exceptional maturity as a nurse. She correlates very well with everybody in the hospital. She continually put her patients and those who work with her at ease. She is an excellent team player. She is an asset to Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital...by: Dr. E.A.
Tammy sat with the patient, whom she had grown to know during her hospital stay, held her hand, and was truly there for her while she was receiving her terrible health news. The doctor delivered the news with a great sense of compassion and gentle ease. Tammy was there to bridge the gap between hearing the worst news of your life, to taking those first steps in trying to move forward with life. Tammy remained with the patient, still holding her hand and wiping her tears. She asked her questions about calling her family in for additional support, and went out of her way to find a wheelchair and enough staff to safely transport the patient from bed to the chair. It was a beautiful July day, and Tammy thought it best to get the patient out of bed and outside to enjoy the weather with her family.
Tammy has a way at the bedside that cannot be taught in any school, it is something that comes so natural to her and it is if that moment was the only thing she had going on that day. She has a way of making the patient feel like she was the only patient in the hospital that her needs were 100% taken care of, and most importantly, that the patient felt such a level of comfort with Tammy, she was able to open up about her diagnosis/prognosis and her family concerns. As a bystander, I felt as though I was watching two lifelong friends sharing in a life altering moment. When the patient's family arrived, Tammy knew to give her patient space and time to enjoy her family. Tammy seems to possess the perfect balance of being with her patients and allowing them space to let everything settle in. She allows them to feel like they have a bit of control over a situation where control seems to be lost.
On the day that our beloved patient lost her battle against cancer, Tammy told me she was so surprised and visually upset at home that her daughter asked her what was wrong. Health care workers often say not to bring our work home with you. But Tammy says that we are all human. She says that she is a little on the humorous and goofy side at work because life can be cut short at any time. Sometimes it's having these genuine, uncontrollable human emotions that allow nurses like Tammy to make such memorable, lasting, and personal moments with patients.
In addition to nominating Tammy, I would like this to be in memory of our patient and her family, who was taken too quickly and too soon, but showed us what a fighter looked like.
...
Tammy is a wonderful caring nurse. I am not sure if I will be able to describe her passion. I was impressed by her skills. She admitted a very nice gentleman with lymphoma for chemotherapy. The chemotherapy was running slow because of his low blood pressure. She was only supposed to work till 5pm that day but she volunteered to stay till 11pm to give him his chemotherapy as there was nobody else to do it. She puts her patients at the center. I observed her one day buying her patient a regular Pepsi from her own money as she could not get it to her from the kitchen.
She has an outstanding performance in the care of variety of patients and dealing with their medical issues. I have received numerous unsolicited comments from her peers, physicians as well as her patients that Tammy is consistently dependable, courteous and effective in her role. Patients comment on her pleasant demeanor and compassion, she has solid medical knowledge, strong work ethic and exceptional maturity as a nurse. She correlates very well with everybody in the hospital. She continually put her patients and those who work with her at ease. She is an excellent team player. She is an asset to Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital...by: Dr. E.A.