Tessa Ellis
May 2014
Tessa
Ellis
,
RN
ICU
St. Mary's Health Center
Jefferson City
,
MO
United States

 

 

 

Tessa was nominated by a patient and his wife for the excellent care she provided during their extended stay in the ICU and the follow up care after they left the ICU. During his stay, the patient and his wife were due to celebrate their anniversary and he was too sick to get his wife anything. Tessa bought flowers and a card for him to give his wife and wrote a message on the card for him as he was unable to write at the time. The wife was very moved and thus began the lasting connection between Tessa and this family.

Tessa and her team in the ICU continued to tell the patient if he needed anything to let them know. One day the patient and his wife requested some "fresh air" and the team responded. Tessa and her team packed the monitors and all the patient's essential care items and took him for a hospital bed ride outside to get some fresh air. This was the first of many "life-saving" gestures Tessa did for this patient under her care.

After discharge from the hospital Tessa went to visit the patient at a residential care facility and noticed something was wrong. She immediately leaped into action and got the patient transferred back to the hospital where it was discovered he was suffering a life threatening infection. Again Tessa's skill, compassion and care saved this gentleman's life!