Melissa A Klavinski
July 2025
Melissa A
Klavinski
,
BSN, RN
Hospice
Parkview Regional Medical Center
Fort Wayne
,
IN
United States
She demonstrated a true love for her patient when it was least likely to be reciprocated.
We first met Melissa when my wife was in acute distress at home. Her rapid response and willingness to jump right into action, even climbing into bed in order to get better control over the situation, gave us our first clue that she is special.
Subsequent visits found her to bring joy and empathy into our home, above and beyond the compassion and patient care skills that make her a great nurse. Her communication and coordination with our schedule assured that she always arrived at times when we were ready and excited to focus upon her visit, sharing stories that helped my bedridden bride to feel like she was getting out to experience the world.
As the disease progressed, we found that Melissa also carries a strong sense of advocacy for her patients. Progressing pain was beginning to impose upon my wife's quality of life, and while we were still managing, we were clearly losing ground and would soon be in a pain crisis. Melissa pressed onward with coordinating extraordinary efforts from pharmacy and provider to ensure that we could implement a unique plan of treatment for a unique patient.
Despite her traditional weekend hours, she continued to advocate throughout the week so that a voice was heard on our behalf. When the barriers were all cleared, wouldn't you know that she was the one who was scheduled to start the new treatment. Again, she jumped right into the unfamiliar, being trained on the technology and advocating for rapid adjustments as we regained control over the pain.
Finally, as we descended into the later stages of her disease and the transition towards her passing, Melissa refocused upon preparing the family for these moments. The relationships she built led her to visit my wife even during her day off from work. She demonstrated a true love for her patient when it was least likely to be reciprocated. Overall, Melissa demonstrated special skills that can't be taught in nursing school or even through years of practice, but that elevated her care beyond what could be expected or hoped for in a caregiver. 10/10 experience: would recommend!
Subsequent visits found her to bring joy and empathy into our home, above and beyond the compassion and patient care skills that make her a great nurse. Her communication and coordination with our schedule assured that she always arrived at times when we were ready and excited to focus upon her visit, sharing stories that helped my bedridden bride to feel like she was getting out to experience the world.
As the disease progressed, we found that Melissa also carries a strong sense of advocacy for her patients. Progressing pain was beginning to impose upon my wife's quality of life, and while we were still managing, we were clearly losing ground and would soon be in a pain crisis. Melissa pressed onward with coordinating extraordinary efforts from pharmacy and provider to ensure that we could implement a unique plan of treatment for a unique patient.
Despite her traditional weekend hours, she continued to advocate throughout the week so that a voice was heard on our behalf. When the barriers were all cleared, wouldn't you know that she was the one who was scheduled to start the new treatment. Again, she jumped right into the unfamiliar, being trained on the technology and advocating for rapid adjustments as we regained control over the pain.
Finally, as we descended into the later stages of her disease and the transition towards her passing, Melissa refocused upon preparing the family for these moments. The relationships she built led her to visit my wife even during her day off from work. She demonstrated a true love for her patient when it was least likely to be reciprocated. Overall, Melissa demonstrated special skills that can't be taught in nursing school or even through years of practice, but that elevated her care beyond what could be expected or hoped for in a caregiver. 10/10 experience: would recommend!