A patient’s surgery was canceled due to “snowmageddon” after the surgeon could not get out of their driveway. The team came by to tell the patient, and he was rescheduled. However, the patient and family drove over 4 hours and stayed in a hotel for two nights to be sure he was here for his major surgery. The patient was offered the standard service recovery and a gas card, but that alone did not sit well with Breanna McDonald. This family had spent their time and money on a hotel for an extra night and planned ahead for the snow to ensure the patient was here. His surgery was rescheduled for the next day, so he would have to pay for another night in a hotel. Breanna reached out to the surgeon to see if there was anything else that could be done to help the family. She was put into contact with patient relations, but she didn’t stop there. Breanna followed up multiple times with both the surgeon and patient relations. At some point, a coworker mentioned, “That is not your job, it's the surgeon's job.” To which Breanna replied, “I don’t care about any of that, I just care about the patient and making sure he gets what he deserves.” That is the kind of nurse Breanna is; she does not do it for the recognition, she does it because she truly cares for the patients.

***

This is long overdue.

I have the absolute pleasure of working with Breanna McDonald (Moe) in Peri-Op. From the first time I met her, she has always exuded a calming, supportive, and caring presence. She cares deeply about our patients and makes them feel valued and heard. She is also a huge advocate for mental health wellness, especially of the nurses she works with. Last week, I witnessed the most heart-warming interaction between Moe and complete strangers.

It was the end of our shift on a Sunday. We were at the time clock, clocking out for the day. Before the doors even opened, we heard a heart-wrenching cry from the elevators. Out came two men: an older gentleman and a young adult male. The older male had been crying and was trying to keep it together. The young male was clearly in distress, sobbing uncontrollably. It was quite obvious they had just received very bad news, or a loved one had passed away. Without hesitation, Moe went up to the young man and asked if she could hug him. He said yes, and I witnessed the most compassionate, heartfelt hug between two strangers I’ve ever seen. We led the two men to some chairs so they could sit down. Moe crouched down to eye level and continued to console the two men. She looked up at me and said she would stay with them. I walked away with tears in my eyes; not only because my heart broke for them, but also for the pure love I saw pouring from my amazing coworker. She stayed with them for a while, and they shared that a very young, immediate family member had just passed away. They felt comfortable enough with Moe to even share pictures of their loved one with her. She was there for them in probably one of the worst moments of their lives. I’m sure the compassion and love she showered these two suffering men with will stay with them forever. She is the most selfless person I’ve ever met.

This is just one example. I could write a whole book about Moe and all the good I’ve seen come from her. I’m beyond honored to be her coworker and friend.