I am writing this in support of honoring Susan Lohse. As the attached letter from a family indicates, Susan is a very compassionate and caring nurse who truly embraces the teachings of Dr. Jean Watson's Caring Model.
Letter from family: Susan has been a pivotal member of the healthcare team, and has literally made interventions that saved my husband's life. She is a rare jewel among those we consider to be outstanding nurses. She herself would not boast of anything that she did, but there were so many things that made a difference in our lives:
Willingness to address questions, both small and large.Follow through - she integrates data and serves as the glue to help hold things together in a focused manner.Using humor and tough love, she insisted he do what was in his best interest (going to the Emergency Department).Acts within her scope of practice.Holistically oriented.Went out of her way to secure physical therapy equipment when it was needed in the home.She has served as an anchor for us in the sea of healthcare activity.Another family called to personally thank Ms. Lohse for her caring and support through a challenging time. While receiving chemotherapy in the community for non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, the Veteran developed Cardiomyopathy. The financial burden was overwhelming, and she collaborated with his VA Primary Care Provider, Pharmacy, and Cardiology to ensure that the Veteran received his non-formulary medications in an expedited manner.
I could cite more examples, but the gist of all of this is that Ms. Lohse is an example of a nurse "who makes an enormous difference in the lives of so many people by the super-human work she does every day."