Former nurse/nursing instructor thanks ED and HVU teams for “meticulous, efficient care, where nothing is overlooked”

Posted on May 30, 2016 by Monica Mewshaw

A retired nurse/nursing instructor wrote a letter of thanks to the teams who cared for her after an unexpected trip to the ED and admission on HVU (this is part 2, read part 1 here). What a reward it must have been to receive “meticulous, efficient care” from some of her former nursing students. Way to go, ED and HVU team!

Little did I know one day as I finished a routine bowel prep that I would soon be rushed to the hospital with a fast, irregular heart rate: atrial fibrillation. Being taken to AAMC by EMS with lights flashing, horns blaring, and fast U-turns, was not what I saw in my future.

When I arrived at AAMC, all the nurses, from the ED to HVU, were incredibly compassionate, reassuring, and professional and truly helped my husband and I relax. I felt so blessed to get a bed on HVU, a private, bright, sunny room where I could try to rest, pray and educate myself on a bump in the road I’d never anticipated.

At 3am, I was told I had elevated cardiac enzymes and need to rule out an MI. I needed anticoagulant meds and more. I wept, worried I’d be an invalid the rest of my life, having just retired from nursing so my husband and I could continue the next chapter of our lives. But there wasn’t an employee (housekeeping, xray , echo, cath lab, physician and nursing) who didn’t make me feel like they were taking care of their own family member.

I had to learn it’s okay to not be okay, which my nurse Sophy Edward, RN, taught me. Having my cath postponed late Friday, having a reaction to the dye, and horrific side effects of a betablocker, the staff all still stayed positive.

I prayed harder than I ever knew how, and 44 hours later my heart rate was normal (whew). Fr. Flynn and his incredible army of volunteers from St. Mary’s prayed with me every day. I have a whole new perspective of inpatient hospitalization and what we can do for our neighbors or even strangers.

Dr. Boaz Rosen and Dr. Marco Mejia from Annapolis Cardiology Consultants are the best, incredibly up on the latest and visited me daily, helping me to understand all this. I was so worried about the cardiac cath (as a friend and my dad had complications), but it truly is not painful, and being in the new state of the art cath lab just gives a patient confidence. Watching the whole procedure on a huge digital TV was incredible. I suppose being medical I loved that, and of course, having some medication on board helped as well.

I can’t thank certain nurses for their meticulous, efficient care, where nothing is overlooked. Cheryl Lamon, RN, for getting me organized my first couple of days and helping me understand what to anticipate. Getting a back rub from Jordan Shultz, RN, to help my itching from the dye reaction, something I was taught as a diploma grad.

Having my former students take care of me, such as Meghan Mascetti, RN, and seeing her confidence and always bubbly smile warmed my heart. Sophy’s calm comforting demeanor and words of wisdom. Erin Grady, PCT, and Samantha Powell, PCT, rocked it through the park; the little things that they don’t “have” to do, always asking, “Are you sure there isn’t anything I can do for you?” Again, so hard to accept.

Even my husband felt taken care of and saw the professionalism of everyone anywhere he went in the hospital. It was a huge plus that our dog, Rio could spend a few hours with me each day, and now I hope we can do dog therapy.

You have to be very proud of the care our community receives at AAMC. I’d be remiss if I didn’t thank you for exemplary care!