August 2022
Amy
Chacona
,
BSN, RN
TNICU
UPMC Hamot
Erie
,
PA
United States
Amy empathized with this patient and felt like she needed to go above and beyond to help this patient cope with his anxiety.
When I think of a DAISY Award Honoree and their overall quality of care, I instantly think of Amy Chacona, BSN, RN. She truly displays an extreme amount of care and compassion for each patient that she takes care of. There are several stories that I could share about how she has made an impact on her patients, however since her transition down to TNICU, there are two remarkable stories that have left imprints on two of her patients’ hearts.
The first is the connection between a 25-year-old trauma patient who was in a severe motor vehicle accident during his 60-day hospital stay, his life dramatically changed, and he had difficulty coping with all of the life changes that would occur outside of the hospital as well. Because of this accident, he suffered severe anxiety and depression. Amy empathized with this patient and felt like she needed to go above and beyond to help this patient cope with his anxiety. She brought in her own essential oil diffuser to help calm the patient and alleviate some of those symptoms. The patient and family were forever grateful as they felt like it had helped change his outlook on life and helped ease the anxiety and feelings of depression.
Another captivating story that comes to mind when I think of Amy’s care and compassion, is the interaction she had with a patient that suffered a spinal cord injury, leaving him as a quadriplegic. This injury was absolutely devastating, and unfortunately, he did not have the support of his family to help him cope with the new anxiety and depression that had developed. Amy truly impacted his life and provided care beyond her line of work. Throughout the patient’s stay, she always made sure the patient received the very best care, and his needs were met.
During Christmas time, she bought him a gift and helped bring him Christmas cheer by decorating his room since he would be in the hospital throughout the holidays. I witnessed his happiness every time Amy would be assigned to him as his nurse, as she provided so much empathy and compassion toward him. After the patient was discharged, Amy even went out of her way to visit him at a long-term care facility. This brought him so much happiness and joy to be visited by his favorite nurse. Amy always makes it a point to go above and beyond for her patients and uses her emotional intelligence and therapeutic communication to exude the core value of caring and compassion. There is no better individual I can think of to receive this award than Amy Chacona.
The first is the connection between a 25-year-old trauma patient who was in a severe motor vehicle accident during his 60-day hospital stay, his life dramatically changed, and he had difficulty coping with all of the life changes that would occur outside of the hospital as well. Because of this accident, he suffered severe anxiety and depression. Amy empathized with this patient and felt like she needed to go above and beyond to help this patient cope with his anxiety. She brought in her own essential oil diffuser to help calm the patient and alleviate some of those symptoms. The patient and family were forever grateful as they felt like it had helped change his outlook on life and helped ease the anxiety and feelings of depression.
Another captivating story that comes to mind when I think of Amy’s care and compassion, is the interaction she had with a patient that suffered a spinal cord injury, leaving him as a quadriplegic. This injury was absolutely devastating, and unfortunately, he did not have the support of his family to help him cope with the new anxiety and depression that had developed. Amy truly impacted his life and provided care beyond her line of work. Throughout the patient’s stay, she always made sure the patient received the very best care, and his needs were met.
During Christmas time, she bought him a gift and helped bring him Christmas cheer by decorating his room since he would be in the hospital throughout the holidays. I witnessed his happiness every time Amy would be assigned to him as his nurse, as she provided so much empathy and compassion toward him. After the patient was discharged, Amy even went out of her way to visit him at a long-term care facility. This brought him so much happiness and joy to be visited by his favorite nurse. Amy always makes it a point to go above and beyond for her patients and uses her emotional intelligence and therapeutic communication to exude the core value of caring and compassion. There is no better individual I can think of to receive this award than Amy Chacona.