December 2025
Gisselle A
Viana
,
RN
PCU8
Alta Bates Summit Medical Center
Oakland
,
CA
United States
She encountered multiple obstacles that might have prompted other staff to give up on the discharge, yet she persistently worked to find a way to make it happen safely.
In deep appreciation for all you do, in consistently providing exemplary, skillful, and exceptional levels of compassionate care to the patients of the PCU8 Unit, at the Summit Campus of Alta Bates Summit Medical Center.
Gisselle Viana is an example for all of our nurses to follow for her ongoing quiet excellence, advocacy, and compassion. Recently, Gisselle showed extraordinary dedication by advocating for a patient who was being discharged home and needed to obtain Methadone prior to discharge. This patient was opiate dependent at baseline, but was determined to wean himself off and stop using.
He was admitted for open heart surgery, and after much discussion and hard work, had elected to take Methadone. He was ready for discharge and extremely anxious to get out of the hospital, creating an additional challenge, but it turned out that there was a potential obstacle with the schedule of the Methadone Clinic. There was concern that they might not accept him as a patient on a weekend, and Gisselle was adamant that we determine a plan before discharge.
According to the hospitalist following the patient, Gisselle put forth incredible effort to help the patient discharge safely with access to Methadone. She made multiple phone calls to both the hospital pharmacy and the Methadone Clinic. She encountered multiple obstacles that might have prompted other staff to give up on the discharge, yet she persistently worked to find a way to make it happen safely. She worked with Case Management and the substance use navigator to ensure that the prescription was written and faxed over appropriately. She also followed up with a separate outpatient pharmacy to make sure he could get his first dose and ensured that they had the medication available that day.
The patient was anxious to go home, and throughout this process, he was pressuring Gisselle to allow him to leave, stating that he would not wait. Rather than getting flustered or frustrated, Gisselle was able to keep him calm and remain empathetic as she dealt with a complex situation. Dr. Harmon notes that the patient has maintained follow-up with CT surgery and has seemed to do well.
It is often an unfortunate reality that patients with a substance abuse history are sometimes "written off" by the care team, and assumptions are made about their willingness or ability to remain abstinent. On this day, Gisselle showed her commitment to excellent care and the value she places on safe discharge, no matter the patient's history or social situation.
Thank you for all you do, Gisselle, and continue to do for the patients at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, putting patients first and people always!
Gisselle Viana is an example for all of our nurses to follow for her ongoing quiet excellence, advocacy, and compassion. Recently, Gisselle showed extraordinary dedication by advocating for a patient who was being discharged home and needed to obtain Methadone prior to discharge. This patient was opiate dependent at baseline, but was determined to wean himself off and stop using.
He was admitted for open heart surgery, and after much discussion and hard work, had elected to take Methadone. He was ready for discharge and extremely anxious to get out of the hospital, creating an additional challenge, but it turned out that there was a potential obstacle with the schedule of the Methadone Clinic. There was concern that they might not accept him as a patient on a weekend, and Gisselle was adamant that we determine a plan before discharge.
According to the hospitalist following the patient, Gisselle put forth incredible effort to help the patient discharge safely with access to Methadone. She made multiple phone calls to both the hospital pharmacy and the Methadone Clinic. She encountered multiple obstacles that might have prompted other staff to give up on the discharge, yet she persistently worked to find a way to make it happen safely. She worked with Case Management and the substance use navigator to ensure that the prescription was written and faxed over appropriately. She also followed up with a separate outpatient pharmacy to make sure he could get his first dose and ensured that they had the medication available that day.
The patient was anxious to go home, and throughout this process, he was pressuring Gisselle to allow him to leave, stating that he would not wait. Rather than getting flustered or frustrated, Gisselle was able to keep him calm and remain empathetic as she dealt with a complex situation. Dr. Harmon notes that the patient has maintained follow-up with CT surgery and has seemed to do well.
It is often an unfortunate reality that patients with a substance abuse history are sometimes "written off" by the care team, and assumptions are made about their willingness or ability to remain abstinent. On this day, Gisselle showed her commitment to excellent care and the value she places on safe discharge, no matter the patient's history or social situation.
Thank you for all you do, Gisselle, and continue to do for the patients at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, putting patients first and people always!