Melissa took care of my husband when he was admitted for small strokes that had no effects on him physically or mentally. The doctors told us they would treat him with a different blood thinner to prevent further strokes and that was all the information we received. Unfortunately, while he was under Melissa's care, he had another stroke that caused a loss of mobility to his left side further complicating his chance of recovering from stage IV pancreatic cancer. He went from being able to walk and care for himself to bedridden.
My daughter and I were understandably upset and panicked. Melissa was a tremendous help by providing comfort to us in this time of stress. She remained calm, explained what was happening to my husband, and at our request, tried her best to get a doctor to come see us, called the oncologist and a critical care nurse. She really was my husband's advocate. If it weren't for her, I don't know what we would have done. I know that day was not an easy day for her as she had very sick patients with a multitude of issues but her actions that day made the worst day of my life more bearable.
The next day, Melissa was working but was not my husband's nurse. On her own time, she chose to visit my husband and spend time with him on at least three separate occasions. Melissa truly cares about her patients and provide comfort to us knowing that our loved one was in her hands. It takes a special nurse like Melissa to genuinely care about the health and well-being of her patients even after they leave her care. Throughout four weeks of hospital stays with my husband's condition, we have had some great nurses but none that stand out more than Melissa.