Mary Gerrity
April 2023
Mary
Gerrity
,
RN
Rosa Inpatient Behavioral Unit
Hackensack Meridian Health Jersey Shore University Medical Center
Neptune
,
NJ
United States
I arrived on the unit hysterically crying and she hugged me and said, “You’re okay, you’re okay, you’re safe here now.” It all felt better. Nobody else has had that impact on me in the 13 long years I’ve been battling mental illness.
In 2020 I was very depressed and required admission to an inpatient psychiatric unit. Back then, my nurse Mary, was the main reason I felt so well cared for. She was compassionate, attentive, and empathetic. She listened and guided me as I struggled through my stay, and I was always grateful for her. After that admission, I left her with a thank you card and went about my life. I never forgot her though. She left such a lasting impression.
Fast forward a couple of years later to the end of 2022, I found myself having a panic attack while working. Mary helped me through my panic attack, which was especially difficult. Her presence and her warmth were the only safe place I could think of at the time while working. She was so caring and helpful.
As my mental health continued to decline as the weeks went on, I chose to come back to JSUMC as a patient again for another inpatient admission when I was officially in a true crisis state. It’s so so brutal hitting that point and needing a higher level of care again. I was devastated to be back to where I was in 2020. Deteriorating mental health can be so debilitating, and unfortunately, I feel our system is very broken. I have been failed by many providers and programs, but not Mary. I actually insisted on coming to Jersey Shore knowing I might get the help I need from Mary again, and I did. I felt seen as a human being with potential, not just for my illness. I also saw the way other patients turned to Mary and embraced her.
One of her colleagues said “Mary is everyone’s nurse” because everyone truly loves her. She sits at the bedside and talks to you, focuses on the little things that can be comforting while dealing with the frustration of security measures in a locked unit, and she gives her patients hope. I felt like a horrible monster given the state I was in during my hospital stay. I was not myself at all, completely struggling from a depressive crash due to trauma that also had a very severe hormonal component to it, making me a very difficult patient to care for. But Mary didn’t make me feel judged the way I judged myself. She made me feel safe and understood. I arrived on the unit hysterically crying and she hugged me and said, “You’re okay, you’re okay, you’re safe here now.” It all felt better. Nobody else has had that impact on me in the 13 long years I’ve been battling mental illness.
I’m now officially back to work in a new role. Going from a psychiatric patient back to a working employee in just a short period of time has been very challenging and would most likely surprise many people who don’t understand certain mental health struggles. That being said, I’m hoping Mary will be formally recognized for her compassion and nursing excellence in the area of behavioral health the way she deserves to be. Unfortunately, I feel our psychiatric system can be very broken, but there are a few amazing nurses that are part of it. Mary is one of them.
Fast forward a couple of years later to the end of 2022, I found myself having a panic attack while working. Mary helped me through my panic attack, which was especially difficult. Her presence and her warmth were the only safe place I could think of at the time while working. She was so caring and helpful.
As my mental health continued to decline as the weeks went on, I chose to come back to JSUMC as a patient again for another inpatient admission when I was officially in a true crisis state. It’s so so brutal hitting that point and needing a higher level of care again. I was devastated to be back to where I was in 2020. Deteriorating mental health can be so debilitating, and unfortunately, I feel our system is very broken. I have been failed by many providers and programs, but not Mary. I actually insisted on coming to Jersey Shore knowing I might get the help I need from Mary again, and I did. I felt seen as a human being with potential, not just for my illness. I also saw the way other patients turned to Mary and embraced her.
One of her colleagues said “Mary is everyone’s nurse” because everyone truly loves her. She sits at the bedside and talks to you, focuses on the little things that can be comforting while dealing with the frustration of security measures in a locked unit, and she gives her patients hope. I felt like a horrible monster given the state I was in during my hospital stay. I was not myself at all, completely struggling from a depressive crash due to trauma that also had a very severe hormonal component to it, making me a very difficult patient to care for. But Mary didn’t make me feel judged the way I judged myself. She made me feel safe and understood. I arrived on the unit hysterically crying and she hugged me and said, “You’re okay, you’re okay, you’re safe here now.” It all felt better. Nobody else has had that impact on me in the 13 long years I’ve been battling mental illness.
I’m now officially back to work in a new role. Going from a psychiatric patient back to a working employee in just a short period of time has been very challenging and would most likely surprise many people who don’t understand certain mental health struggles. That being said, I’m hoping Mary will be formally recognized for her compassion and nursing excellence in the area of behavioral health the way she deserves to be. Unfortunately, I feel our psychiatric system can be very broken, but there are a few amazing nurses that are part of it. Mary is one of them.