Mariama Alhassan
February 2022
Mariama T
Alhassan
,
BSN, RN
Medical Observation Unit
Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center
Charlotte
,
NC
United States
I stood in the doorway, smiling, in awe of Mariama's compassion, empathy, and dedication to her patients.
Mariama Alhassan, BSN, RN III has been a nurse for longer than I have been alive (hope she doesn’t mind me sharing that). If you ask anyone who has worked alongside Mariama during her years of dedicated service, the example above would not surprise anyone. Mariama has a gift of taking a vulnerable patient and helping them feel whole, strong, and human again. As a new graduate, Mariama Alhassan taught me everything I know about holistic and compassionate care at the bedside.
I tell the story often of my first night shift in orientation as a new nurse working alongside Mariama Alhassan. My patient with schizoaffective disorder, delusional thinking, and dementia simply did not want to take her nighttime medications from me. I did my best, reasoning with her and explaining why it was important for her to take her medications but she was insistent she did not need them, no matter what I said. Finally, I hung my head as I approached Mariama and told her I had failed and that the patient would not take her medications. Mariama reassured me that with time, I would learn how to connect with my patients and earn their trust so I would be able to provide the excellent care to them that they deserved. Mariama Alhassan, so casually and easily, strolled to the patient’s bedside, pulled up a chair, and sat next to her directly at her eye level. She complimented the patient on her curly, short, silver hair and told her that she had cared for her before. After a few moments of catching up, developing a rapport with the patient, and assuring her that she was there to care for her, the patient very willing took her medications, smiling at Mariama as she cooed her appreciation to her and praised her for taking care of herself. I stood in the doorway, smiling, in awe of her compassion, empathy, and dedication to her patients.
That night, I decided: I wanted to grow up to be just like Mariama. A strong, dedicated, compassionate and humanizing nurse. Her patients and colleagues alike have benefitted from her years of service at the bedside, we are all so grateful for her.
I tell the story often of my first night shift in orientation as a new nurse working alongside Mariama Alhassan. My patient with schizoaffective disorder, delusional thinking, and dementia simply did not want to take her nighttime medications from me. I did my best, reasoning with her and explaining why it was important for her to take her medications but she was insistent she did not need them, no matter what I said. Finally, I hung my head as I approached Mariama and told her I had failed and that the patient would not take her medications. Mariama reassured me that with time, I would learn how to connect with my patients and earn their trust so I would be able to provide the excellent care to them that they deserved. Mariama Alhassan, so casually and easily, strolled to the patient’s bedside, pulled up a chair, and sat next to her directly at her eye level. She complimented the patient on her curly, short, silver hair and told her that she had cared for her before. After a few moments of catching up, developing a rapport with the patient, and assuring her that she was there to care for her, the patient very willing took her medications, smiling at Mariama as she cooed her appreciation to her and praised her for taking care of herself. I stood in the doorway, smiling, in awe of her compassion, empathy, and dedication to her patients.
That night, I decided: I wanted to grow up to be just like Mariama. A strong, dedicated, compassionate and humanizing nurse. Her patients and colleagues alike have benefitted from her years of service at the bedside, we are all so grateful for her.