As a leader, I believe Mandi is an ideal employee. She is dependable, smart and compassionate. The providers know she has great assessment skills and trust her opinion. She rarely calls in, frequently picks up extra shifts and volunteers to orient students, new employees and DEU Creighton students. She recently participated in a video for Creighton on their DEU program and was a great representative of Mercy.
Mandi is recognized from patients/families almost every shift or at least once a week. I recently received an email from an employee who stated her family member was a patient in the unit a few weeks ago and wanted to rave about Mandi and the care she provided. She bonds with families and really shows genuine care for everyone. One of my favorite things about Mandi is that she often attends the funeral or visitation for patients she has cared for. This is rare and shows not only what nursing means to her but also what type of person she is.
I recently was able to experience her care from a different perspective. One as a family member. I received a call from my mother that she was unable to wake my father up and the squad was there to take him to the hospital. Although my parents are older with some chronic health issues, they are not yet of retirement age and are completely independent. This was an unexpected call and at first, I was not overly concerned about what was happening. A short time later I received a text that stated they were in the ED and they were putting my father on a ventilator. I rushed to the hospital to see what was happening and found him in a very critical condition.
I met Dr. N in the ED room where I found out he was dig toxic and his potassium was 8.4. He was in acute kidney failure. He had also aspirated in the ambulance and was unable to maintain his airway. He was admitted, intubated with orders for emergent dialysis, central line placement, vasopressors, etc. As a nurse with many years of ICU experience, I knew what was happening and I feared he was not going to make it. However, the night staff pulled him through, and the following morning Mandi came in to care for him.
I am sure trying to keep the father of your director alive is about as stressful as it can be at the bedside. She was assigned to him for three days. Here is what I know. Her skills and critical thinking are second to none. She responded quickly and appropriately with every intervention needed. It was a beautiful example of critical care nursing as she titrated and weaned 2 vasopressors, fluids, 3 types of different sedation, his cardiac drips and multiple antibiotics all while monitoring his respiratory status and kidney function.
Mandi rounded with all the providers and answered all my family's questions when they did not understand medical information. She also kept me sane. I watched the numbers on the monitor as well as the peep and fio2. I knew when we were going forward or backward. Mandi was exactly what was needed. She was calm and responsive and explained everything before she did it. She knew the difference in speaking to me and then to my mother and she knew when I needed a hug. She reminded me when I needed to be a nurse and when I needed to be a daughter. She prepped me for the likely delirium he would experience when extubated and reminded me to let her take the lead. She reduced my stress and helped me make it through those first three days and I will forever be grateful for her care of him and me. Mandi and everyone else that walked into his room is the reason I wanted him at Mercy and nowhere else.