October 2021
Marie
Shapiro
,
BSN, RN
Medical Surgical Unit
Inova Fairfax Medical Campus
Falls Church
,
VA
United States
Ms. Shapiro's caring attention to D and to our family eased her pain and our anguish during those crucial days.
I am writing to highly commend the actions of Ms. Maria "Mia" Shapiro as the primary nurse who cared for my wife, D in the last day of her life. Ms. Shapiro's caring attention to D and to our family eased her pain and our anguish during those crucial days. I believe there can be no greater accolade for a nurse.
D died in October at your hospital. The care provided to her by your doctors, nurses, technicians, and staff during the weeks that she rallied and declined was, in my view, nothing less than exceptional. Ms. Shapiro, however, was a standout even among such accomplished company. I wish to share with you the profound gratitude that I am my family feel for all your staff but especially toward her.
Ms. Shapiro provided thoughtful critical care for D. She checked on D constantly. With a practiced eye, she saw when D was restless or uncomfortable often before family members in the room noticed. She provided D with immediate relief or persisted in marshaling the needed assistance every quarter to ease her pain and increase her comfort as quickly as possible. This was exceptional because D was a complex case and difficult to assess. In her last days, she was not responsive except to pain. Still, Ms. Shapiro succeeded in providing or gently driving action that soothed D's pain. Often, she pursued solutions to D's issues late into that day. We frequently saw her working well beyond the end of her shift to capture critical information and inform appropriate medical personnel as well as to my family.
Ms. Shapiro provided compassionate assistance to our family. After attending to D's needs, she went out of her way to embrace, inform, and assist us. D and I have been in and out of hospitals for over 30 years with her medical issues. In that time, no nurse kept us informed with such currency, clarity, and compassion as she did. Moreover, on at least two occasions she fearlessly pursued clarifying information for the family, directly and repeatedly contacting appropriate physicians to provide updates and secure answers for us. Ms. Shapiro also knew when to be respectfully present and quietly supportive of the family. Not once did we feel uncared for, yet often, especially during the day before D's death, she thoughtfully diverted unessential intrusions into D's room.
Ms. Shapiro effectively reached across interdisciplinary boundaries to care for D and inform us. Her friendly ability to tap her relationships across the disciplines resulted in more complete and timely care for D and more nuanced and precise assistance for the family. She engaged others quietly and with precision. More importantly, she thoughtfully elicited information and advice from her medical colleagues in a timely manner resulting in better care for D and an improved ability for us to process and respond to D's medical situation.
At Inova Fairfax, you have many tremendously competent and caring personnel that you are privileged to lead. None more so, in my view, than Ms. Maria Shapiro. Please thank her profusely on our behalf.
D died in October at your hospital. The care provided to her by your doctors, nurses, technicians, and staff during the weeks that she rallied and declined was, in my view, nothing less than exceptional. Ms. Shapiro, however, was a standout even among such accomplished company. I wish to share with you the profound gratitude that I am my family feel for all your staff but especially toward her.
Ms. Shapiro provided thoughtful critical care for D. She checked on D constantly. With a practiced eye, she saw when D was restless or uncomfortable often before family members in the room noticed. She provided D with immediate relief or persisted in marshaling the needed assistance every quarter to ease her pain and increase her comfort as quickly as possible. This was exceptional because D was a complex case and difficult to assess. In her last days, she was not responsive except to pain. Still, Ms. Shapiro succeeded in providing or gently driving action that soothed D's pain. Often, she pursued solutions to D's issues late into that day. We frequently saw her working well beyond the end of her shift to capture critical information and inform appropriate medical personnel as well as to my family.
Ms. Shapiro provided compassionate assistance to our family. After attending to D's needs, she went out of her way to embrace, inform, and assist us. D and I have been in and out of hospitals for over 30 years with her medical issues. In that time, no nurse kept us informed with such currency, clarity, and compassion as she did. Moreover, on at least two occasions she fearlessly pursued clarifying information for the family, directly and repeatedly contacting appropriate physicians to provide updates and secure answers for us. Ms. Shapiro also knew when to be respectfully present and quietly supportive of the family. Not once did we feel uncared for, yet often, especially during the day before D's death, she thoughtfully diverted unessential intrusions into D's room.
Ms. Shapiro effectively reached across interdisciplinary boundaries to care for D and inform us. Her friendly ability to tap her relationships across the disciplines resulted in more complete and timely care for D and more nuanced and precise assistance for the family. She engaged others quietly and with precision. More importantly, she thoughtfully elicited information and advice from her medical colleagues in a timely manner resulting in better care for D and an improved ability for us to process and respond to D's medical situation.
At Inova Fairfax, you have many tremendously competent and caring personnel that you are privileged to lead. None more so, in my view, than Ms. Maria Shapiro. Please thank her profusely on our behalf.