Michelle Mastroianni, ASN, RN

When I arrived at SMH-Venice, my mom seemed ill but coherent. We talked, but I could see she wasn't feeling herself. Michelle quickly filled me in on her condition, and I could sense that she really knew my mom. This immediately put me at ease, especially when I live out of state and had to travel to see my mom. The hardest thing is seeing a parent so vulnerable and being taken care of by strangers. Michelle not only attended to my mom, but she also asked me repeatedly if I needed anything or if she could do anything for either of us. She was attentive, yet she respected our privacy. At the end of her shift, she came by to say goodbye, and I felt like we instantly clicked. The wonderful staff let me stay the night with my mom in her room at the hospital. I was very worried about her health.

The next morning, Michelle greeted us, and I thought my mom was just very tired. We let her sleep a little more. Eventually, I tried to wake her up and get her to communicate with me. She seemed so "out of it." Michelle noticed this too and tried to wake her. I am sure Michelle assessed her in other "medical" ways that I am unaware of. She talked to her, held her hands up, and tried to wake her. Still, she was so groggy and in and out of it. I could sense that something wasn't right, but I had no idea what was going on. Michelle sensed it too. She looked me in the eye and said, "Do not worry; we will take good care of her." She then talked to another nurse. After a few more minutes of discussion, Michelle called the RAPID team in to see my mom. In that moment, everything changed. The room was full of people assessing my mom, and the next thing I knew, she was being taken away for CT scans and then eventually moved to the ICU. They asked me questions I wasn't expecting, and I am not even sure I answered them. It all became a blur, and all I saw was Michelle and heard her say it would be okay. I literally fell apart in her arms as my mom was being wheeled out. I was told that she would end up in the ICU on the fourth floor. I remember asking Michelle if she would be with us on that floor, and she said no. Someone walked me up to the ICU lobby, and I sat there waiting for my mom to return from CT and be given a room. I had no idea what I would be walking into. I truly feel that if Michelle had not called the RAPID team in at that time, we would have lost my mom.

We found out that she was hypercapnic and was building CO2, which caused her grogginess. She received excellent care from all of the nurses we encountered, but it was Michelle who recognized the change in her behavior (because she actually knew my mom's personality) and did the right thing by calling the RAPID team. In my opinion, she saved my mom's life. The care and concern she showed my mom in the short time I was with her is something I will never forget. I know all nurses are wonderful, and I am sure Michelle would say she was just doing her job, but the difference she made in my family's life, especially my mom's, is unforgettable. That is why I feel Michelle deserves recognition for her compassionate care, for truly learning her patients and their families, and for supporting them during one of the scariest moments of my life. I would like to nominate Michelle for the DAISY award.