Lucia A Martinez Hernandez
July 2024
Lucia A
Martinez Hernandez
,
RN
8N Orthopedics
Providence Portland Medical Center
Portland
,
OR
United States
This was a beautiful act of what nursing care really is all about. It's not just bedside, it's not just medical; it's caring for the whole person, even after they are no longer in your care. It was amazing.
Lucia is an incredible nurse. She is not only there for her patients but also her fellow team members. She is a preceptor, assisting in helping usher in the next generation of nurses. She is patient, thoughtful, supportive, and direct. She knows how to foster an environment of safety and frequently goes above and beyond for those she cares for. I could write pages and pages on her, but I will leave you with a beautiful example of her holistic care and the true compassion and empathy that she feels for her patients.
Lucia herself is Spanish speaking, and in this instance, she had a Spanish-speaking patient. Although translators are an incredible asset to the medical profession, at times, they do not allow for casual and comfortable conversation that allows for humor and nuance. Lucia worked many times with this patient and had grown a strong therapeutic relationship. In a way, I am writing this on this woman's behalf. Lucia assessed this woman's health literacy and used this information to guide her care. Lucia wanted to ensure that this patient's transition to self-management was smooth, accessible, and successful. Sadly, our charting and computer system does not actually translate all discharge medical information, particularly not the individualized information. Just things like "medicamento" rather than "medication" in the presets, and information pamphlets that are pre-written and able to be attached to an After Visit Summary (AVS). Due to this, Lucia took the time to individually and carefully translate all of the untranslated information in the patient's AVS. This included the doctor's note and all of the individualized instructions. She worked on this for quite some time whenever there was a free moment. This was a beautiful act of what nursing care really is all about. It's not just bedside, it's not just medical; it's caring for the whole person, even after they are no longer in your care. It was amazing. I really think she deserves this award. Lucia is an exceptional caregiver and, as I've said, goes above and beyond for those in her care.
Lucia herself is Spanish speaking, and in this instance, she had a Spanish-speaking patient. Although translators are an incredible asset to the medical profession, at times, they do not allow for casual and comfortable conversation that allows for humor and nuance. Lucia worked many times with this patient and had grown a strong therapeutic relationship. In a way, I am writing this on this woman's behalf. Lucia assessed this woman's health literacy and used this information to guide her care. Lucia wanted to ensure that this patient's transition to self-management was smooth, accessible, and successful. Sadly, our charting and computer system does not actually translate all discharge medical information, particularly not the individualized information. Just things like "medicamento" rather than "medication" in the presets, and information pamphlets that are pre-written and able to be attached to an After Visit Summary (AVS). Due to this, Lucia took the time to individually and carefully translate all of the untranslated information in the patient's AVS. This included the doctor's note and all of the individualized instructions. She worked on this for quite some time whenever there was a free moment. This was a beautiful act of what nursing care really is all about. It's not just bedside, it's not just medical; it's caring for the whole person, even after they are no longer in your care. It was amazing. I really think she deserves this award. Lucia is an exceptional caregiver and, as I've said, goes above and beyond for those in her care.