Zoe in Greek means "life". For many years, I have watched Zoe touch so many patients, families and their lives in multiple ways. To start, Zoe is one of the most kind, compassionate and caring nurses you will ever meet. She provides above and beyond outstanding care to every patient she touches and has been a fabulous role model to many for years. No matter how terrible the situation may be, her demeanor is always calm, patient and comforting to all.
While working in the ER, Zoe touched the lives of a family so much that they named their baby Zoe. Numerous times I have witnessed her use her own money and buy a meal, snacks, coffee, whatever was needed for a patient's family. She buys and brings in her own brushes to provide stylish hair and combat the bird nest affect that sometimes happens to our ICU patients. She has let patients apply make up to her to cheer them up. She has driven coworkers to various obligations. Probably the worst thing Zoe ever did was to give me a bottle of wine because I worked one shift for her and I had to drink it! More than once she has come in to work, on her day off and visited with patients and their families. She will stay in the room, sit, talk to the family, and comfort them, in the addition to comforting the patient as well. You will find her sitting with a patient, holding their hand, hugging a family member or running to provide a grieving family snacks, water, coffee, a priest, whatever they may need.
Zoe has a special way with our difficult patients and their challenging family dynamics which is what prompted me to write this letter. This patient, although extremely sick this last admit, is above and beyond challenging to say the least. When most of us just want to give all the care needed to them and then run out of the room, Zoe runs into it. She gracefully accepts any challenge thrown at her. Once again, on her day off she came in and visited a challenging patient, sat in their room and again comforted the whole room.
During Christmas one year, we had an extremely sick young girl who was transferred and survived and later came back and visited us, looking for Zoe as one of the people she wanted to see. During this visit, Zoe came in on her day off and brought in a Christmas tree for her and her family. It was the girl's turn to put the star on the tree that year and we knew that was not happening. I really could continue with how wonderful Zoe is. Zoe is beyond an extraordinary nurse, who makes an enormous difference in the lives of so many people by the super-human work she does. Zoe truly deserves to be celebrated for her years of outstanding clinical expertise and extraordinary compassionate care to all.