Madelyn consistently goes above and beyond for her patients and her team. She has excellent clinical skills, which are complimented with extraordinary care and compassion at the bedside. She has found a balance of meeting physical needs while keeping emotional support at the forefront; she truly embodies family-centered care.

I have watched Madelyn spend countless hours walking the hallways with a patient who only found pain relief with distraction. Her patient had a newly diagnosed tumor in her spine. Pain relief was fleeting - medications were not working, and emotions were running high while waiting for surgery. After contacting providers to optimize medications, child life for distraction, and social work for support, this nurse sat down and spent time getting to really know her patient and her family. By the end of the shift, she knew their interests and family dynamics and was able to identify upcoming needs. She was able to get her patient up and out of the room, distracted from her pain, and give her family much-needed time to process a new diagnosis. She did this day after day, even when not assigned to this patient.

I have also watched Madelyn apply her clinical knowledge and critical thinking skills to optimize care, resolve potential safety risks, and improve customer service for a medically complex patient. This particular patient had a very difficult hospital stay with a newly diagnosed genetic condition. There was a significant language barrier, which complicated keeping the family updated and informed with frequently changing orders and nursing processes. Unfortunately, the family frequently and consistently refused an interpreter. The family's biggest concern was medication compatibility. Each nurse who came to the room was administering IV medications into the patient's PICC line slightly differently: some were pausing TPN and lipids to administer IV seizure medications, while others used a secondary IV and kept infusions running. This was particularly difficult and stressful for both the parents and the staff in the middle of the night.

Madelyn identified the need to streamline care and was creative in closing the gap. Previous nurses had called the pharmacy and researched medication compatibility from shift to shift; this nurse took that one step further and requested a formal pharmacy consult. Not only did she consult with the pharmacy, but she was able to partner to get an official note entered into the chart with specific instructions for each medication. Then, she typed up the patient's medication schedule with names and times to hang in the patient's room, along with the route of administration. Partnering with interpreting services, this nurse then had the schedule translated into Spanish to hang next to it. Going forward, once each nurse entered the room to give medication, they would inform the parents which medicine was being given, along with all the details (IV vs. PICC, pause TPN, and Lipids vs. keep going), reviewing both verbally and visually. The family shared that they felt heard, seen, and safe for the first time in several days because of this nurse’s actions.