I am an anesthesia clinical nurse at Blodgett Hospital. In recent weeks, I have witnessed Maggie Thompson be an amazingly kind, compassionate, and perceptive nurse.
The first event was a woman having a total knee replacement. The woman was absolutely terrified, and her husband was being verbally abusive to her. Maggie was so concerned about this woman that she discussed her concerns with the surgeon and a decision was made to contact the care management team.
The second event I witnessed was again another patient who was scheduled for a total shoulder replacement. It was obvious to Maggie that this man was also very anxious so when she asked him his concerns, he told her he didn't want to bother her because he knew she was busy. Maggie assured him that she was never too busy to listen. That man shared that his friend had also had a shoulder replacement and developed an infection that actually took the man's life. Maggie was kind and reassuring and promised him that she would make sure they kept him as safe as she possibly could. She also shared this with the pain team so that we could address his concerns.
The reason Maggie should be recognized is that as an operating room nurse her interaction with each patient is often ten minutes or less. Maggie has amazing interpersonal skills and nursing assessment skills so that in that short amount of time she not only recognizes issues that need to be addressed, she is willing to take the extra time to appropriately improve conditions.
Spectrum Health is lucky to have this smart, kind, compassionate nurse on their staff. She has a skill set that many will never acquire. I am proud to call her my co-worker and would feel privileged to have her care for me or anyone else I love.