August 2021
Danielle
Zuccaro
,
RN
ICU
TriStar Summit Medical Center
Hermitage
,
TN
United States
Danielle’s day-to-day interactions with some of the “more challenging” patients never seem to deter her from the mission of providing quality care.
I would like to thank my husband’s nurse and share my story of why this nurse is so special. As we closed the door on the demanding and tumultuous 2020 and ushered in 2021, Danielle stood strong at Summit, Tri-Star. These health care workers were on the front lines and sacrificed so much in the fight against COVID. But, in Danielle’s position as a Nurse in a Surgical Intensive Care Unit, she is called upon to stabilize the patient who usually has entered the hospital through the Emergency Room, or enters the hospital due to a complicated specialty illness or injury. This type of care requires a special person filled with compassion and one who is able to calm the waters. So, not only did she display the highest of care for my husband, she survived the drama and instability from a year defined by what will likely be one of the biggest health care crises of our lifetime. Danielle demonstrated courage, compassion, stamina, and selflessness, unlike anything we’ve seen. She most certainly and bravely went above and beyond her job description to help her patients gain back their health while doing this with a heart that understands the complexity of both the medical and emotional needs of her patients. She approaches her work with a positive attitude and understanding of the patient’s illnesses in devastating ways. Day in and day out, the compassion and kindness she provided her patients is immeasurable. Danielle’s day-to-day interactions with some of the “more challenging” patients never seem to deter her from the mission of providing quality care. She does this while being a wonderful mother to a young daughter. I applaud Danielle for her total commitment. “Thank you” doesn’t begin to convey the gratitude we feel for health care workers. It doesn’t bring back the lives we’ve lost to this virus, nor does it make up for the unrelenting stress caused by isolation from friends and loved ones. I admitted my husband to the Emergency Room at Summit Hospital, and after the ER staff ran tests, they determined that he had a stroke. Needless to say, time is of the essence in this type of situation. Dr. S and his staff were able to administer the miracle drug TPA within the three-hour window necessary to clear any blockage, etc. He was then transferred to the SICU unit where Danielle Vaccaro became his Nurse and Caregiver. She spent relentless hours tending to his every need. Making sure that everything possible was being done to help him survive this devastating situation. My husband thought that he was going to die but Danielle was able to reach him, bring him out of the downward spiral and keep his spirits high throughout his hospital stay. Her sense of humor enabled my husband to laugh and find hope and her assurances made him stronger. It is so refreshing to find a nurse with all the qualities that Danielle displayed. Overall, we came away thinking that Summit Hospital was a great example of how the medical field should have handled the pandemic and they were able to highlight the many opportunities to re-imagine the future of medical care. Opportunities to simplify access to data-driven insights, improve the interoperable exchange of critical health data and address the crisis of clinician burnout. In closing, I want to thank Danielle and all the healthcare workers all over the world. I want to thank them for the great work they are doing. Sometimes I feel that they are overlooked. There is no money, medals, trophies, ceremonies that could sufficiently recognize the work that they do because they are on the front line saving lives and you can’t put a price tag on that. Danielle, thank you for being a healthcare worker hero. You are amazing.