Rachel
Denis
July 2012
Rachel
Denis
,
RN
Surgical ICU
Maimonides Medical Center
Brooklyn
,
NY
United States

 

 

 

Rachel Denis is an extraordinary nurse. Her compassion for patients and their families is amazing. She is also highly competent and detail oriented. This combination of qualities enables her to provide truly comprehensive patient care to the sickest patients in MMC. She is someone I would want by my side caring for me if I was ill, and overall, it is an honor to work with her.

The SICU is an emotionally charged unit. I remember how Rachel was able to help me in providing emotional support for the family of my patient. I was having difficulty in caring for both patient and family; Rachel was able to provide comfort to a distraught family.

Extraordinary, compassionate and vigilant are a few words to describe Ms. Rachel Denis. I observed on several occasions not only taking care of the patient en emergent or crisis situations, also ensuring the family members are taken care of. When she cannot do it herself, she’ll assign a nurse to take care of the family.

The charts of Rachel’s patients are almost never in the chart rack. Reason: Rachel has the charts at the bedside so she can read the chart and know everything she can about the patient and the patient’s condition. That is the kind of nurse I want taking care of me when I get sick.

Rachel leaves indelible impressions on every patient that comes under her care. For example, whenever the patient comes to step-down, they always talk about her kind and caring ways and the compassion she shows.

Recently, I witnessed Rachel taking care of a neuro-surgical patient who was restrained, intubated and sedated. Compassion, professionalism and patience were Rachel’s tools that day as usual. She held sedation, assessed patient, reoriented patient to peace, encouraged the patient to relax, assured safety and closely monitored. At the end of the shift, the patient was off sedation, off restraints and off mechanical ventilation. Rachel communicated with the family at the same time; she kept them informed about plan of care and incorporated them to care as much as she could. There are so many days like this. I am happy for the opportunity to say these words about Rachel.