Tracey Fitzpatrick
November 2020
Tracey
Fitzpatrick
,
Directorate Nurse Manager (DNM)
Cancer Directorate
Mater Misericordiae University Hospital
Tracey listened intently and with compassion. Their genuine empathy for me and a family they had never met was so obvious.
I've worked with Tracey on a number of projects in their nurse management role and have always admired their leadership skills. Tracey is a remarkably strong leader with clear vision and fearlessness in challenging the status quo. But they always do this with compassion and kindness. Tracey is very progressive and forward thinking but because they are very people focused, Tracey manages to bring staff and management along with them in building and achieving a vision. It's always so clear that they are driven by absolute commitment to the wellbeing of both patients and staff.
I had a personal experience with Tracey's compassion and kindness this year. In Spring, in the middle of the first COVID surge, a friend of mine, living in New York, was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer with a very poor prognosis. Her family here in Dublin was obviously very traumatised by this devastating diagnosis and this was compounded by the COVID context which meant her elderly parents and three sisters couldn't visit and care for her in New York. Amidst their shock and sadness, they were battling to understand what her options would be for treatment and end of life care - either in New York or back in Ireland. I phoned Tracey to see if they might have information. Tracey asked me if there was a room where we could meet and talk privately. Within a half-hour, they met with me. Tracey listened intently and with compassion. Their genuine empathy for me and a family they had never met was so obvious. Tracey explained clearly and honestly what the options were. I will always remember them saying "If she comes home, she will be taken care of" and it was so nice to be able to share this and all the other practical information with the family.
My friend sadly passed away six weeks later in New York. Because of the COVID pandemic, her parents and sisters never got to see her, exacerbating the trauma and devastation surrounding her illness and death. The clarity and comfort of the information and support that Tracey provided made a real difference to me and this family at a moment in time when they were surrounded by chaos and distress. I knew Tracey was a fantastic leader. This experience showed me that a key part of this is their absolute kindness and drive to help people in need.
I had a personal experience with Tracey's compassion and kindness this year. In Spring, in the middle of the first COVID surge, a friend of mine, living in New York, was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer with a very poor prognosis. Her family here in Dublin was obviously very traumatised by this devastating diagnosis and this was compounded by the COVID context which meant her elderly parents and three sisters couldn't visit and care for her in New York. Amidst their shock and sadness, they were battling to understand what her options would be for treatment and end of life care - either in New York or back in Ireland. I phoned Tracey to see if they might have information. Tracey asked me if there was a room where we could meet and talk privately. Within a half-hour, they met with me. Tracey listened intently and with compassion. Their genuine empathy for me and a family they had never met was so obvious. Tracey explained clearly and honestly what the options were. I will always remember them saying "If she comes home, she will be taken care of" and it was so nice to be able to share this and all the other practical information with the family.
My friend sadly passed away six weeks later in New York. Because of the COVID pandemic, her parents and sisters never got to see her, exacerbating the trauma and devastation surrounding her illness and death. The clarity and comfort of the information and support that Tracey provided made a real difference to me and this family at a moment in time when they were surrounded by chaos and distress. I knew Tracey was a fantastic leader. This experience showed me that a key part of this is their absolute kindness and drive to help people in need.