Priscilla is an extraordinarily compassionate nurse. Priscilla always goes out of her way to make the patients feel comfortable. Even when they are intubated and sedated, Priscilla can often be seen talking to them in a gentle voice and explaining their care. She sets extra time aside to talk with patients' family members to ensure they understand everything that is going on. She is extremely approachable, making families comfortable asking her anything. She is always able to slow things down and makes sure she is explaining things in a way they can understand. In the extremely busy and hectic setting of the Surgical Intensive Care Unit, Priscilla can often be seen taking the extra time to get to know a patient's preferences. Before every turn, she will ask the patient if they prefer to turn to one side or the other based on their comfort level. Even when patients are trached and unable to speak, I have seen Priscilla ask them what they want to watch on TV, and scroll through every single channel waiting for the patient to nod or indicate what they want to watch. This process can take an extraordinary amount of time, but Priscilla understands that watching what they want on TV gives patients just a little bit of comfort from home, and Priscilla will do anything to help them get that comfort. Priscilla is not only a compassionate nurse, but she is also a role model for many of the other staff members on the unit. If you talk to any of the countless nurses she has oriented to the unit, they unanimously say that she is an incredible nurse who they seek to take after. This is because Priscilla is not only compassionate with her patients, but also with the new nurses she teaches. She ensures the nurses feel supported and empowered to give the best care possible. She is able to tailor her teaching style of the need of each individual nurse. Even after she is done training a nurse, she remains a mentor to them and is always available to them, whether it be for clinical advice or a shoulder to cry on.
Priscilla has made countless connections with patients throughout her years working in the ICU, but one situation sticks out in my mind. I had just given report to Priscilla about one of our patients, SD, who had been admitted to our unit for several months. She received a liver transplant with numerous complications and had an extended hospital stay. SD was well known to be quite anxious and depressed. When Priscilla and I entered the room to do a bedside handoff, SD absolutely lit up! I saw her smile for the first time in several days. She was trached but with her speaking valve, she was able to say, "That's my manicurist!" to her family members who were visiting. The family was excited to meet Priscilla because they had heard so much about her from the patient. Turns out, a week before Priscilla had noticed that SD was in need of nail care, something that had been overlooked during her critical illness. Priscilla knew this patient was normally a well-kept woman, and having clean nails meant a lot to her. So during one of her shifts, Priscilla spent over an hour cleaning, filing, and painting her nails with supplies she brought from home specifically for SD. It was obvious how much this meant to the patient by her reaction to Priscilla. Priscilla really connected with this patient. I actually had the opportunity to go talk with this patient while writing this nomination. When I told her I was nominating Priscilla for this award, the patient asked me to add this to the nomination: "Priscilla is one nurse who is always going above and beyond for me. No matter if she is taking care of me or not, she always comes by to say good morning or goodnight. I feel good knowing that she checks on me. No matter what, she always has a smile on her face. Bring me the nomination and I'll sign it because I endorse her 100%!"
There is no doubt in my mind that Priscilla has made a significant difference in the lives of countless patients. Priscilla is an extremely humble and sweet person, so I'm sure she does even more for her patients that none of her coworkers even get the opportunity to recognize. We had another patient, DW, who was on the unit for several weeks. He was labeled a "difficult" patient by some of the staff. Priscilla never lets these labels affect her care of the patient. No matter how anxious he got, Priscilla was always able to calm him down. While many others would get frustrated, Priscilla's patience never wavered. The patient remained very sick for many weeks, but eventually turned a corner and began to improve. Eventually he was discharged from the ICU. Several months later, the patient came back to visit the unit. He came to thank everyone who "saved his life". The patient named several nurses, one being Priscilla, who made such a difference to him during such a hard time in his life. The patient became tearful when he spoke about how much simple gestures, such as hand-holding and more frequent rounding, made in his quality of life.
Not only is Priscilla compassionate and kind, but she is also a skilled clinician with excellent judgment. There is no doubt in my mind that Priscilla's quick action has literally saved the lives of our patients. Priscilla is quick to step up and step in during any emergency. Her presence on the unit makes me personally feel at ease because I know whatever happens Priscilla will be by my side if I need her. She is truly a pleasure to work with, the patients and staff are both lucky to have her.