Melissa Sartori
January 2025
Melissa
Sartori
,
CDCES, CMSRN
Diabetes Educator
Advocate Christ Medical Center
Oak Lawn
,
IL
United States
Melissa was able to secure donations and provided the patient with a winter coat, several pairs of gloves, a hat, and sweaters, and even purchased socks, shoes, and winter boots for the patient.
To be a truly exceptional nurse requires not only clinical skills, knowledge, and expertise but also caring, empathy, and compassion. Nursing truly is a work of the heart. Working in Diabetes Education, we have the unique opportunity to work with patients and their care teams to develop education and provide resources to help people manage their diabetes. We often encounter patients who are facing hardships and are uninsured, underinsured, or homeless.
Approaching these situations is often challenging and requires all the qualities of an exceptional nurse. I have the privilege of working with such a nurse, Melissa Sartori. She has the experience and knowledge to develop education plans that meet her patients’ unique needs, and she collaborates with all members of the care team to ensure the patient has the resources they need prior to discharge.
Melissa embodies what I refer to as the nursing heart, and she cares about her patients beyond their clinical diagnosis. She sees past noncompliance and lack of knowledge and recognizes that some of our patients know what they need to do, but don’t have the means or resources to do it. She goes above and beyond to try and secure resources for her patients prior to discharge.
Recently, Melissa saw a patient who was struggling financially and didn’t have any source of income, and wasn’t able to afford the copays for her prescriptions. She also didn’t have the means to transport herself to appointments. Melissa collaborated with the CM/SW team to help get her vouchers for public transportation so she could follow up with providers at Cook County and obtain her medications. She also signed her up for the Food Farmacy, provided her with a glucometer and enough supplies to last her a while, and worked on getting her cold-weather gear to stay warm while waiting for the bus.
During her visit, the patient shared that she did not have things like a winter coat, gloves, or a hat. Melissa was able to secure donations and provided the patient with a winter coat, several pairs of gloves, a hat, and sweaters, and even purchased socks, shoes, and winter boots for the patient.
This patient was very touched by her gesture and told Melissa that no one had ever gone out of their way to help her like that before, and she was very grateful. I was also touched by her actions, and I believe she should be recognized for being an outstanding nurse and educator.
Approaching these situations is often challenging and requires all the qualities of an exceptional nurse. I have the privilege of working with such a nurse, Melissa Sartori. She has the experience and knowledge to develop education plans that meet her patients’ unique needs, and she collaborates with all members of the care team to ensure the patient has the resources they need prior to discharge.
Melissa embodies what I refer to as the nursing heart, and she cares about her patients beyond their clinical diagnosis. She sees past noncompliance and lack of knowledge and recognizes that some of our patients know what they need to do, but don’t have the means or resources to do it. She goes above and beyond to try and secure resources for her patients prior to discharge.
Recently, Melissa saw a patient who was struggling financially and didn’t have any source of income, and wasn’t able to afford the copays for her prescriptions. She also didn’t have the means to transport herself to appointments. Melissa collaborated with the CM/SW team to help get her vouchers for public transportation so she could follow up with providers at Cook County and obtain her medications. She also signed her up for the Food Farmacy, provided her with a glucometer and enough supplies to last her a while, and worked on getting her cold-weather gear to stay warm while waiting for the bus.
During her visit, the patient shared that she did not have things like a winter coat, gloves, or a hat. Melissa was able to secure donations and provided the patient with a winter coat, several pairs of gloves, a hat, and sweaters, and even purchased socks, shoes, and winter boots for the patient.
This patient was very touched by her gesture and told Melissa that no one had ever gone out of their way to help her like that before, and she was very grateful. I was also touched by her actions, and I believe she should be recognized for being an outstanding nurse and educator.