Gina is the definition of an Extraordinary Nurse. Gina is frequently recognized by families, physicians, and nurse colleagues for going above and beyond, but to Gina, it is just her standard practice. She is often assigned to critical patients because of her clinical expertise, as well as her ability to connect and comfort distressed families. During nurse leader rounds, Gina is often recognized by families as the nurse who provided them with "just exactly what we needed at the time." Gina also excels caring for medically complex children. Just recently, Gina had to provide care to a septic, new onset diabetic patient with Down Syndrome and severe Autism. To decrease stimulation, Gina thought outside of the box and set up a divider, so the child could not see the constant traffic in and out of his room. The letter below is from the patient's aunt, who is also a nurse.
Gina was outstanding! My nephew, who has Down Syndrome, was admitted to ICU with sepsis. Gina was so professional, yet attentive and caring with him and his family. He was very sick, with blood pressure dropping, being dialyzed and sedated. She has an unrelenting work ethic and was busy attending to him her entire 12-hour shift. She rarely left his side, but when she did, she was right outside his room. She was experienced, knowledgeable, confident, compassionate, and a true advocate on his behalf. She was the best nurse he could have had!
This is just one of the many stories that we have received about Gina. UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh and the PICU are incredibly fortunate to have Gina.