Amanda Vega
August 2025
Amanda
Vega
,
RN
MSICU
St. Francis-Emory Hospital
Columbus
,
GA
United States
We need more nurses like Mandy who are overly passionate about their job and enjoy caring for others' families!
I’ve finally built up the courage after losing my mom a year ago to acknowledge the most amazing nurse ever, Mandy Vega, RN.
First off, I would like to acknowledge the honor of being able to work alongside Mandy a couple of years ago, prior to this interaction. Needless to say, nothing can compare to the fact of having a former coworker take care of your mother with so much passion and enthusiasm. To begin with, my mom had been admitted to the hospital last year, and sadly, she began to decline rapidly. Although I was an ER nurse at the time, I felt in the dark for most of my mom's care. I didn’t want to stand over the nurse's shoulder and pull the "I’m a nurse" card.
At that time, I felt defeated and like I had no voice. Some of you may know, as nurses, it’s different when you’re advocating for patients as a nurse versus advocating for your family as simply a family member. With that being said, it wasn’t until my mom was in the care of Mandy and the doctor that I felt everything was thoroughly explained. During her stay, I finally felt like I could rest knowing she was cared for by the best. I knew this dynamic duo was trying their very best to take care of my mom. As some may be able to relate, as the only person with a medical background and the oldest daughter of the patient, processing all of these events and relaying to the family was very tough for me.
Imagine preparing your mom mentally, because of the signs and symptoms she’s presenting with in the ER, of the one thing most people are afraid to ask their family members? Mom, if it gets to the point you can’t make decisions for yourself, would you like CPR? Would you like to be intubated and have help with your breathing? This nurse! My former ICU coworker! My mom's amazing nurse! She took the time to explain and repeat herself to each family member! She was honest with me not only as a nurse, but as a friend!
She cried with my family and me when I decided I wanted to de-escalate my mom. This friend checked on me days after losing my mom. For this reason, she will always be priceless to me. We need more nurses like Mandy who are overly passionate about their job and enjoy caring for others' families!
We love Mandy!
First off, I would like to acknowledge the honor of being able to work alongside Mandy a couple of years ago, prior to this interaction. Needless to say, nothing can compare to the fact of having a former coworker take care of your mother with so much passion and enthusiasm. To begin with, my mom had been admitted to the hospital last year, and sadly, she began to decline rapidly. Although I was an ER nurse at the time, I felt in the dark for most of my mom's care. I didn’t want to stand over the nurse's shoulder and pull the "I’m a nurse" card.
At that time, I felt defeated and like I had no voice. Some of you may know, as nurses, it’s different when you’re advocating for patients as a nurse versus advocating for your family as simply a family member. With that being said, it wasn’t until my mom was in the care of Mandy and the doctor that I felt everything was thoroughly explained. During her stay, I finally felt like I could rest knowing she was cared for by the best. I knew this dynamic duo was trying their very best to take care of my mom. As some may be able to relate, as the only person with a medical background and the oldest daughter of the patient, processing all of these events and relaying to the family was very tough for me.
Imagine preparing your mom mentally, because of the signs and symptoms she’s presenting with in the ER, of the one thing most people are afraid to ask their family members? Mom, if it gets to the point you can’t make decisions for yourself, would you like CPR? Would you like to be intubated and have help with your breathing? This nurse! My former ICU coworker! My mom's amazing nurse! She took the time to explain and repeat herself to each family member! She was honest with me not only as a nurse, but as a friend!
She cried with my family and me when I decided I wanted to de-escalate my mom. This friend checked on me days after losing my mom. For this reason, she will always be priceless to me. We need more nurses like Mandy who are overly passionate about their job and enjoy caring for others' families!
We love Mandy!