May 2008
Maureen
Sulaiman
,
RN
Medical Stepdown
NewYork-Presbyterian Columbia University Irving Medical Center
New York
,
NY
United States

 

 

 

The following support letter was written by Maureen's coworker:
Four years ago, I had the honor of precepting a new nursing graduate, Maureen Sulaiman. She was then timid but very hard working. She put off her break times to prioritize the needs of her patients. I have seen her grow and blossom as a professional nurse. She has perfected the skill of nursing and never changed her excellent bedside attitude of "putting patients first".
Maureen works quietly on the sideline but her patients are all blessed with her excellent touch. I remember a patient who could barely talk and was very short of breath. He was looking for his "Nurse Maureen" up to his last breath. Unfortunately, Maureen was off that day but it is a very emotional experience for me to have a patient look for "his nurse" on the last minute of his life. With this experience, I feel that I chose the right profession because this exemplar has made me realize the deeper meaning of what we do and the impact we make on our patients lives.
Maureen is comparable to a "lunar power". She is subtle but very efficient and compassionate. Like the moon, she brightens the whole place without burning anyone by her bright light. Like the moon she is unnoticed but definitely performs a crucial part on our unit and touches each patient's life. Every time I hear praise for Maureen I can't help but beam with pride! This nomination is a great opportunity for me to give my colleague this great appreciation and for once rightfully acknowledge her valuable contribution. It is about time the moon gets equal appreciation as the sun.