Janice Taylor
December 2018
Janice
Taylor
,
RN, BSN
Medical Intensive Care
Yale New Haven Hospital
New Haven
,
CT
United States
Janice has the reputation with both MICU nurses and providers as "the one you want in your corner", "a walking encyclopedia", and "the one I would choose to take care of me or my loved one". Not only is Janice an incredible clinical nurse, but also an outstanding patient advocate. Janice is able to truly connect with families from all walks of life. Janice takes the time to help families truly understand what is happening with their loved ones. The MICU has an average of forty deaths per month. The acuity of our patients is unparalleled. Many patients and their families are facing end of life decisions. Janice has, on countless occasions, helped families understand the options available to them at end of life, and works with them to make decisions that are right for the patients and their loved ones. These conversations can be very difficult and fraught with emotion. Not only does Janice never shy away from these decisions, but as one of only two new graduate preceptors in the MICU, she teaches our young nurses the importance and skill required to help these suffering patients and families. Janice is one in a million.
Recently, Janice received a patient, M, who arrested at home in front of her husband. She was resuscitated by first responders and admitted to the MICU. Unfortunately, M had received a recent diagnosis of terminal cancer and had received only one chemo treatment. M had three grown children, 2 daughters living two hours away, and one son away at college. M had made the decision not to tell her children about her cancer diagnosis until she saw how she would respond to the chemo. Her husband reluctantly respected her wishes. Upon admission, M was critically ill, intubated, and in a coma. Her husband was distraught. He did not know how or what to say to his children. Janice did an incredible job not only caring for M's medical needs, which were critical and incredibly complicated, but she took the time, long after her shift ended, to sit with the husband and help him through the difficult discussion he needed to have with his children.
Janice cared for M for the three days she survived. Her children rushed to her side and were devastated by the news. Their initial reaction was to blame their father for not telling them about their mother's cancer. They felt he should have told them despite their mother's wishes. The father was the target of much anger, f, ar and anguish. This reaction was tearing the family apart. The children would ignore the father when they all needed each other's love and support. Janice, again juggling the intensive nursing care M required, with her unparalleled skill at difficult emotional conversations, was able to sit with these children and help them come to the realization that their father was just respecting their mother's wishes. Janice was able to turn this family around. In the end, Janice helped this family come to the realization that their mother was at the end of her life. They decided as a family to withdraw care and let their mother pass away peacefully with the family and Janice at her side.
***
Janice Taylor, RN, has been in the MICU for eleven years, coming to us from a small community hospital on Cape Cod. She is one of two MICU nurses that precept new graduate nurses, which is a very intensive eighteen-week orientation. All of Janice's orientees continue to look to Janice for continued mentoring and support. Janice also works as charge and is a clinical and psychosocial resource for all MICU nurses. Janice is highly respected by all of our physician partners.
Recently, Janice received a patient, M, who arrested at home in front of her husband. She was resuscitated by first responders and admitted to the MICU. Unfortunately, M had received a recent diagnosis of terminal cancer and had received only one chemo treatment. M had three grown children, 2 daughters living two hours away, and one son away at college. M had made the decision not to tell her children about her cancer diagnosis until she saw how she would respond to the chemo. Her husband reluctantly respected her wishes. Upon admission, M was critically ill, intubated, and in a coma. Her husband was distraught. He did not know how or what to say to his children. Janice did an incredible job not only caring for M's medical needs, which were critical and incredibly complicated, but she took the time, long after her shift ended, to sit with the husband and help him through the difficult discussion he needed to have with his children.
Janice cared for M for the three days she survived. Her children rushed to her side and were devastated by the news. Their initial reaction was to blame their father for not telling them about their mother's cancer. They felt he should have told them despite their mother's wishes. The father was the target of much anger, f, ar and anguish. This reaction was tearing the family apart. The children would ignore the father when they all needed each other's love and support. Janice, again juggling the intensive nursing care M required, with her unparalleled skill at difficult emotional conversations, was able to sit with these children and help them come to the realization that their father was just respecting their mother's wishes. Janice was able to turn this family around. In the end, Janice helped this family come to the realization that their mother was at the end of her life. They decided as a family to withdraw care and let their mother pass away peacefully with the family and Janice at her side.
***
Janice Taylor, RN, has been in the MICU for eleven years, coming to us from a small community hospital on Cape Cod. She is one of two MICU nurses that precept new graduate nurses, which is a very intensive eighteen-week orientation. All of Janice's orientees continue to look to Janice for continued mentoring and support. Janice also works as charge and is a clinical and psychosocial resource for all MICU nurses. Janice is highly respected by all of our physician partners.