Monica Hall
May 2021
Monica
Hall
,
RN; Charge Nurse
Surgical Care
SSM Health St. Mary's Hospital - Madison
Madison
,
WI
United States
Nurse Monica was very concerned and attentive to me. Her voice was very calming and comforting.
I came in to have a surgical procedure. I was advised by my surgeon to prepare for a one-night stay in the hospital. While I have had other surgeries before, they have always been outpatient, so I was a little nervous about having to stay overnight. After my procedure, I was taken to the fourth floor to my room. I was still pretty out of it and don’t remember very clearly what happened over the next 24 hours. What I do remember, I will always be thankful for.
I remember being in a lot of pain and being very uncomfortable throughout the day. I had a great nurse during the day and was sad to see her leave at the end of her shift. Luckily for me, another outstanding Nurse took over, Monica. That night was one of the worst nights of my life. I was having chest pains, belly pain, headaches…it was miserable. Nurse Monica was very concerned and attentive to me. Her voice was very calming and comforting. The compassion in her voice proved she really cared about what I was feeling. She was so empathetic and understanding.
Monica continued to check in on me more frequently than I think she was required to. I really felt like she cared. I was still in a lot of pain, but the times Monica came in and made small talk with me was a much-needed distraction. I’m a 36-year-old woman but I found myself wishing my mother was with me. I was lonely and scared and Nurse Monica felt like my mother. She comforted me as a mother would. I believe that says a lot about her compassion. I can’t remember when Nurse Monica had left for the day, but I know she did check on me before she left, and I thanked her very much for taking such great care of me.
The next day I had spiked a high fever and breathing became more difficult. The doctor feared I may have developed a pulmonary embolism, so they sent me to get a CT scan. I had never been so scared in my entire life. When I had to lay flat for the scan I couldn’t breathe. It’s an indescribable feeling to try to take a breath and not be able to. I was terrified. I think I began panicking but the Nurses’ comforting voices and touch while holding my hand and rubbing my back allowed me to calm down. It was later discovered that during my surgical procedure a blood vessel was nicked near my diaphragm, and I had been bleeding internally during that first 24 hours. I had another surgery to repair the diaphragm.
One thing I will always remember is while I was recovering from the second surgery, I was resting in my room. I felt someone take my hand and hold it. Without even opening my eyes, I knew it was Monica. Her soothing voice and gentle touch were a breath of fresh air. She told me she wasn’t working in my area but wanted to make a special trip to see how I was doing. This meant the world to me! She had helped me through one of the worst experiences of my life. The compassion and care she showed me will never be forgotten. Words cannot describe how thankful I am for Nurse Monica.
I ended up being in the hospital for 6 days before finally being discharged. On a different note, Nurse Monica and some other nurses were very nice and said very nice things to me about my being in Law Enforcement. I believe she even said, “Thank you for your service.” There’s a lot of people in this world that do not like cops right now. When I am in a very vulnerable, helpless state, it’s not a good thing to have to worry about the level of care dropping because of what I do for a living. Nurse Monica went about and beyond to make me feel comfortable and safe. Nurse Monica is an exceptional Nurse. She is a great representative of SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital and is an amazing example of the Mission and Values.
I remember being in a lot of pain and being very uncomfortable throughout the day. I had a great nurse during the day and was sad to see her leave at the end of her shift. Luckily for me, another outstanding Nurse took over, Monica. That night was one of the worst nights of my life. I was having chest pains, belly pain, headaches…it was miserable. Nurse Monica was very concerned and attentive to me. Her voice was very calming and comforting. The compassion in her voice proved she really cared about what I was feeling. She was so empathetic and understanding.
Monica continued to check in on me more frequently than I think she was required to. I really felt like she cared. I was still in a lot of pain, but the times Monica came in and made small talk with me was a much-needed distraction. I’m a 36-year-old woman but I found myself wishing my mother was with me. I was lonely and scared and Nurse Monica felt like my mother. She comforted me as a mother would. I believe that says a lot about her compassion. I can’t remember when Nurse Monica had left for the day, but I know she did check on me before she left, and I thanked her very much for taking such great care of me.
The next day I had spiked a high fever and breathing became more difficult. The doctor feared I may have developed a pulmonary embolism, so they sent me to get a CT scan. I had never been so scared in my entire life. When I had to lay flat for the scan I couldn’t breathe. It’s an indescribable feeling to try to take a breath and not be able to. I was terrified. I think I began panicking but the Nurses’ comforting voices and touch while holding my hand and rubbing my back allowed me to calm down. It was later discovered that during my surgical procedure a blood vessel was nicked near my diaphragm, and I had been bleeding internally during that first 24 hours. I had another surgery to repair the diaphragm.
One thing I will always remember is while I was recovering from the second surgery, I was resting in my room. I felt someone take my hand and hold it. Without even opening my eyes, I knew it was Monica. Her soothing voice and gentle touch were a breath of fresh air. She told me she wasn’t working in my area but wanted to make a special trip to see how I was doing. This meant the world to me! She had helped me through one of the worst experiences of my life. The compassion and care she showed me will never be forgotten. Words cannot describe how thankful I am for Nurse Monica.
I ended up being in the hospital for 6 days before finally being discharged. On a different note, Nurse Monica and some other nurses were very nice and said very nice things to me about my being in Law Enforcement. I believe she even said, “Thank you for your service.” There’s a lot of people in this world that do not like cops right now. When I am in a very vulnerable, helpless state, it’s not a good thing to have to worry about the level of care dropping because of what I do for a living. Nurse Monica went about and beyond to make me feel comfortable and safe. Nurse Monica is an exceptional Nurse. She is a great representative of SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital and is an amazing example of the Mission and Values.