Glenna is my co-worker, we go way back to our days in the Emergency Dept. She would come on and I would go off. Handing care off to Glenna was always a joy as she asked all the right questions, letting me know that she would continue the care that had been started on our respective patients.
Today we work together as the two main staff nurses (actually I am her charge RN) in Cardiopulmonary Rehab. It is the antithesis of the ED but fun and challenging in a different way. Glenna has tremendous concern for all of our patients. This clinical environment allows us to develop strong relationships with our patients as we see them acutely for about 12 weeks and some of our patients choose to stay on and exercise with us after the acute period. We have had some with us as long as 14 years! Needless to say, we know them very well.
Glenna makes everyone welcome the first day. She remembers everything about all of our patients, not limited to their latest medical issues but also including their families, vacations, and hobbies; all of which she chats easily about to each of our patients while assessing their individual health status, cardiac rhythms, pulmonary issues as she leads them on to the road to health.
She goes out of her way to make sure we send cards when an illness or tragedy occurs. Glenna keeps herself up-to-date and continually looks for new learning opportunities. Currently, we have several hearing-impaired patients who require ASL interpreters. In spite of having these interpreters present, Glenna sought out resources to learn ASL so that she could have some of her own interpersonal communication with these patients.
Glenna is a joy to work with and I know our patients love her.