When I first met Connie, she had the biggest smile in her face, and to this day, I have never seen her without a bright, cheery smile. It always makes me smile when I talk with her, and I know that her continued positive attitude is a blessing to her patients. Connie is sweet and compassionate every time I see her interact with her patients, visitors, and her co-workers.
Connie was caring for a young female patient who was having a very difficult time in the unit. She had a trach and was getting feeding tubes through a DHT. The young woman never smiled, and she rarely interacted with family members and staff. Connie not only took exceptional care of this patient, but she did something that I will never forget. Connie found out that the patient's younger child was coming to visit the next day for the first time since the patient had been in ICU. The child was going to see his mother on a vent, with a trach, and a DHT in her nose. Connie couldn't change all of that, but she wanted to make this young mother look as good as possible to lessen the shock for the son and to make the patient feel better. So, Connie went home, brought back, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, hair brush, and a hair dryer, and proceeded to make a mini-salon in the CCU for this patient. She carefully shampooed and conditioned this young mother's hair, gently brushed out all of the tangles (and believe me after weeks in an ICU- there were a lot of tangles), dried her hair, and as best she could fixed her hair into a pretty pony-tail. Connie talked to the patient in her ever-cheerful voice and even had music playing the whole time.
The patient couldn't tell Connie thank you, but I know when that patient's son came in and saw his mother, that patient was thankful for the extra mile that Connie went for her. I don't know if Connie knew anyone was watching, but I was. In that moment watching Connie care for this woman, I was shown once again that nursing isn't just a profession - it's a calling. I am thankful that CCU and Memorial has a nurse that is willing to come in after hours, transform an ICU room into a salon, play up beat music on her phone, and talk to a patient like an old friend. Connie Emert truly deserves a DAISY Award.