Else has a unique ability to care for and love some of the most unlikely and unlovable people. It is difficult to remember all of the patients that she has touched by her basic human respect. Patients that have addictions and all of the behaviors and characteristics that follow addiction do not alter the kind, respectful care that Else provides. Patients on the brink of death, sometimes due to their own poor choices, did not affect her care and compassion.She loved them and made the rest of us love them too.
There was one such patient that the MS team rallied around largely due to Else's influence. The patient was "black listed" from returning to the facilities because of aggressive behavior. Once she was stabilized in our ICU, she came to Med/Surg. Else has cared for her on numerous occasions. The patient would holler out into the hallway when she saw Else pass by, "Else I need you!" Else never got irritated, she spoke to her with respect and the love of a mother. Else sees the intelligence and heart in this patient when many others just saw the mental state left by a traumatic brain injury. Because of Else's care for the patient, she was never aggressive and is now able to lift herself with the use of an assistive device. Else has advocated to help the patient get her motorized wheelchair back from the facility that took it from her, and to get dentures replaced that were lost by the facility. Else took time to talk with the patient. She discovered her intelligence and her surprising awareness of her situation. Else sees beyond the daily nursing task and truly cares for the whole person.
I could wallpaper the halls of this hospital if I had a picture of every time I've walked past a room to find Else sitting on the side of a patient's bed holding their hand or giving a hug or listening to their story. Else seeks each day to discover how she can enrich, not just the patient's care for that day, but their lives. To understand Else, it is best when you hear her heart in her own words:
"I love being with patients and exploring the person who has become a patient in a bed and a gown. Who is that person? What is their story? Where are they in their life? What is it that my interaction with that person has for me, and has for them? What gifts for us both will I find, in our short time together?"
That is really what makes Else a DAISY Nurse. Else sees the gift that she has for each individual and receives openly the gift that they have for her. Else reminds me of the importance of "seeing the patient" and remembering why I am truly here.
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From her patients:
"I was in severe pain probably 15 on the 1-10 scale. Else was there throughout the ordeal. She was knowledgeable, compassionate, and understood exactly where I was on my pain planet. She nursed me through it all. When the crisis passed, she released her bear hug on me. She knew it was ok to go. As she left I thought I saw two wings on her back."
"She spoke directly and precisely to me. Making sure I knew and understood each step she was taking for approximately two weeks. I went from a catatonic state to back to life again. She has been here with me. She didn't act alone; there were several other helpers, but she allowed me to draw strength reminding me who I am. That made me stand with prayer behind my back, with grace that has been granted to me. I expect to make a full recovery, returning to full and whole."
"Else was a ray of sunshine in the morning after my surgery. She provided attentive and excellent care. She attended to me with respect and dignity."
"We felt that Else really cared about us and that F wasn't just another room. She took time to explain things and seemed to genuinely care. Anything that was needed she took care of. Thank you, Else, for all that you did."