Alyssa is that special person that captures your heart and embodies everything one would want in a nurse. Her energy is timeless as is her passion for her work. She is relativity new to the nursing career and yet she practices as though she has done this all her life. When you meet Alyssa you see her engaging eyes and you know she is smiling under that mask. Her very big hello puts you at ease and you know you are important and her main focus.
It was during COVID-19 that Alyssa's desire to care and help people exploded. I know she was anxious but nothing stood in the way of her quest "to make these patients know they were important." One story in particular stands out to me. Alyssa was working with a patient who was positive for COVID-19 and had other problems.
This is her story and one special difference she made during COVID-19:
"I am a pediatric nurse working in the Valerie Fund at Monmouth Medical Center. Due to the increasing need for nurses on the COVID-19 units, I was temporarily floated to care for a new population. I felt vulnerable as a nurse without adult medical surgical nursing experience. However, I am able to speak about a very special patient I cared for during this difficult time. This particular patient has advanced dementia, difficulty hearing, and is non-English speaking. During this patient's admission, there were two falls related to patient disorientation and the inability to gown into appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) in time. Together as a team we utilized our video language line, FaceTimed the patient's loved ones, and tried other diversional activities. However, the patient still presented with agitation in spite of these interventions.
During shift report, I was told that the patient enjoyed folding towels. At this moment I remembered Dolls for Dementia. I contacted my manager at the Valerie Fund who kindly donated a doll for this patient to have. As soon as I brought the doll in the room, the patient's face filled with joy. From this moment to discharge the patient spent her time caring for the doll. From that time forward the patient remained free of hazards and was easily redirected with doll therapy. The patient did not require any physical or chemical restraints to keep her safe."
As a pediatric nurse, she has discovered the vitality of play for the growth and development of children. And took this a step further in this adult situation. Whether caring for adults or children the two should not be viewed separately and rather, adults and children should be provided care that goes back to their basic needs which include therapeutic play. She really is amazing and this special encounter was taken a step further as she published this scenario and it was accepted as a short article in APHON COUNTS.
Everyone who has had the pleasure to meet her has experienced her kindness, engaging personality, and enthusiasm for whatever she needs to do. She loves to teach and create easy ways for all patients to grasp her instructions. It is nothing for her to make a calendar in Haitian for purposes of medication administration at home. Alyssa is an avid quality person as she is also working on a hematology card for patients to use that will summarize their diagnosis and care essentials so they could present this if they arrived in the ER or on the inpatient unit. This too was accepted as a poster presentation at the APHON national conference.
Combined with her organizational skills her quest for knowledge and professional growth is taking her back to school for her Masters' Degree in nursing.
Alyssa is truly the candidate for the daisy award as she exemplifies: excellent clinical skills, embraces the highest level of compassion and caring with respect for diversity, and is inclusive in her communication and listening skills.