Updated on Oct 7, 2022 | Nursing, Stories of Excellence
Joseph Giralt, RN, BSN
Joseph Giralt, RN, BSN, has been a nurse at The Mount Sinai Hospital in the Brain Injury Unit of the Department of Rehabilitation and Human Performance for four years. Nurse Manager Susan Brindisi, MSN, says Joe garners positive comments from patients on a regular basis as a result of his compassionate care, adding that he will often visit patients who have setbacks and transfer from the Rehabilitation unit back to a medical floor.
Joe believes everyone who provides care can make a difference. A recent thank you card sent by a patient and his wife attests to Joe’s commitment to the patient experience: “Your humanity, professionalism, and humor changed a scary and difficult time to a manageable situation. You are a gem.”
Joe only wishes he had more time to spend with all of his patients.
“I try to look beyond the medications, to all aspects of caring,” he says. Joe is humble and credits the interdisciplinary team in Rehabilitation as a key to successful outcomes. He especially wants to acknowledge Kern Cummings, a patient care associate with whom he works closely.
“Kern has been with us less than a year,” Joe says, “but he is beloved by his colleagues for his outstanding teamwork and patients for his wonderful care.”
Sep 15, 2022 | Nursing, Stories of Excellence
Ariana Blum, RN
Ariana Blum, RN, an Emergency Department (ED) nurse at The Mount Sinai Hospital is about to realize her lifelong dream of working with children. After two years in the ED, and cross training to Pediatrics, she is transferring to the Pediatric ED.
Ariana says that professional development opportunities for nurses at the Mount Sinai Health System have paved the way.
“I am now equipped with the skills to tackle tasks and assignments I would have previously found daunting,” she says. “From attending conferences to being provided with opportunities to learn new skills like ultrasound guided IV classes and resources to obtain certifications, there’s no shortage of ways to grow.”
Ariana feels as if she has truly found her niche in Pediatrics.
“I can now help some of our most vulnerable, and many times, most frightened patients. I had a 3-year-old patient in the pediatric ED who came in with respiratory distress,” she recounts. “She seemed terrified and was refusing to wear her nebulizer mask. I came into the room and offered to make ‘magic potions’ with her. Her eyes lit up as I had her wave her hand in front of the nebulizer and she watched the solution mist out. She then became not only compliant, but excited every two hours when I would enter the room to make ‘magic potions’. We were able to space out her nebulizer treatments more and more until eventually she was able to avoid what previously seemed to be an inevitable admission and was discharged home. I am so exciting to continue my ED journey here.”
Jenna Meyer, MBA, MSN, RN, Senior Director of Nursing in the ED at The Mount Sinai Hospital, has high praise for Ariana. “Ariana is an invaluable asset to our department. She has truly thrived in her role and has made a lasting impact on our pediatric patients and families. Ariana advocates for positive changes that improve patient experience, quality, and safety. She is a team player who shares her knowledge and skillset, offering help to her colleagues at all opportunities. Ariana provides a welcoming environment to patients and their families. Patient-centered care is at the core of what she does every day. Thank you Ariana for the difference you make!”
Sep 15, 2022 | Community, Engagement, Featured, Nursing
From left: Maria Vezina, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, Vice President and Chief of Nursing Practice and Education, nurse intern Daeja Clarke, and Kathleen Parisien Dory, MA, RN, Director of Nursing Education and Professional Development at Mount Sinai Morningside. Each intern received a certificate and heartfelt congratulations.
Nursing Education and Professional Development at Mount Sinai recently honored 63 young people who completed the first system-wide summer program for student nurse interns. The students gained hands-on experience in a hospital setting alongside mentors in a program following the Magnet model of nursing excellence.
“We are so proud of all that our students have accomplished, wish them the best in their professional journey, and look forward to their return here as clinical nurses,” said Maria Vezina, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, Vice President and Chief of Nursing Practice and Education, Mount Sinai Health System, who hosted the ceremony at Davis Auditorium on Wednesday, August 10.
The 11-week summer program included nurses who had completed their third year at 23 universities from New York to Nebraska and Oklahoma. Clinical nurse mentors in Mount Sinai Heart, Women and Children’s, Rehabilitation and Human Performance, Critical Care, Surgery, and Medicine guided and supported the students’ learning experiences in units on six campuses. The students have since returned for their last year of college, and the intention is to welcome many back to Mount Sinai after graduation.
Annette Jasko, who was a student nurse intern on 7 West in the cardiothoracic post-surgical unit at The Mount Sinai Hospital, summed up her experience: “Mount Sinai has provided me with an invaluable experience as a student nurse intern that has allowed me to build my skill set, improve my critical thinking abilities, and establish my personal values as a nurse,” she said. “Most important, Mount Sinai has modeled the importance of teamwork and honest values in a way that no other hospital has shown me.”
The ceremony included an inspirational poem on student nurses written by Charlotte Isler, an alumna of the former Mount Sinai Hospital School of Nursing, and heartfelt reflections by mentors, who welcomed students to the profession and encouraged them to remain lifelong learners.
“I hope through your experience with us this summer that you have gained clinical confidence and competence to give you a head start in your nursing career,” Beth Oliver, DNP, RN, Chief Nurse Executive, and Senior Vice President, Cardiac Services, Mount Sinai Health System, said in a message of congratulations. “And I hope you will continue your journey with us at the Mount Sinai Health System.”
A ceremony on Wednesday, August 10, honored the summer interns in nursing.
Updated on Sep 9, 2022 | Nursing, Stories of Excellence
Sandy Content, RN
Sandy Content, RN, has worked in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Mount Sinai West for fifteen years, and, according to Nori Yaun, RN, manager, Patient Care Services, Sandy is an excellent practitioner who receives many compliments from parents and is well-respected by her team.
“She has a way of connecting with parents and making personalized approaches in building relationships with families,” Nori says. “She is courteous and maintains a calm and positive attitude in times of crisis and challenges. Sandy is also is an outstanding team member who nurtures and fosters growth of new staff members.”
Recently, parents of a baby born four weeks early and sent to the NICU wrote to the team in praise of Sandy. The parents explained that they felt so fortunate that Sandy was working the weekend their son arrived.
“It’s hard to put into words how much we appreciated Sandy’s empathy and professionalism and her level of excellence. We are first-time parents, and she took the time to answer every question we had while sharing her own experiences as a mother. We always felt that our son was in the best hands. He was cared for by the best of the best. Sandy is truly a gem.”
Sandy is more than qualified to provide support to parents whose babies spend time in the NICU. Her twins were born at just over 24 weeks and spent more than three months in intensive care. That experience was the impetus for her to move into a NICU position.
“This is why God brought my girls to me in this way,” she says, “because I had to be here. This is what I am supposed to be doing. I always say I have the greatest job in the world. I am the baby’s voice. And I put myself in the shoes of the parents. I try to explain the best I can what we are doing and why we are doing it. I love what I do, but I also love to see babies go home. To have had a hand in that, it makes me feel awesome.”
Aug 4, 2022 | Nursing, Stories of Excellence
Gaylenis Del Carmen Mendez Cabreja, BSN, RN
Gaylenis Del Carmen Mendez Cabreja, BSN, RN, more widely known as Carmen, was recently celebrated at a Mount Sinai Health System President’s Huddle. In the episode cited, Carmen was working her usual night shift at Mount Sinai Morningside, providing post-operative care to a bariatric patient.
The patient later wrote the following: “Carmen was without a doubt the most kind, patient, and empathetic nurse I have ever met. I was in an incredible amount of pain, utilized my call bell many times, and each time she was at my bedside in seconds, removing wires for my numerous bathroom breaks or just to provide calming words of encouragement. Additionally, I shared a room with a woman who had extensive injurie and was very angry and loud at times. All I heard was Carmen in calming tones de-escalating and advocating the patient’s wishes to other providers when they entered the room. I wanted to bring awareness to Carmen because often times, people aren’t praised for a job well done, and she was excellent.”
Susan Ignacio, RN, Manager, Patient Care Services at Mount Sinai Morningside, praises Carmen for her superb patient care.
“If you have met Carmen, you will know that she is soft-spoken and always attentive to her patients. She is the ‘Night-Shift Nightingale,’ carrying a lamp quietly checking that everyone is okay. We are proud to recognize Carmen for her compassion, empathy, and dedication to elevating the patient experience at Mount Sinai.”
Carmen clearly puts herself in her patient’s shoes. “I approach patient care with honesty, empathy, and patience. Honesty allows the patient to make more knowledgeable decisions about their care. Empathy helps patients feel more comfortable and trusting of you to provide care to them. And patience creates a warm and welcoming environment, where patients can process and heal what is a life-altering experience for them,” says Carmen, who has worked at Mount Sinai Morningside, 8E, since December 2021. “Nursing to me means being not only a caregiver, but a friend, to someone in medical need. It’s a blessing to be able to help people in their time of need.”
Updated on Jul 8, 2022 | Nursing, Stories of Excellence
Lorraine Fender, DNP, RN, left, Nurse Manager, and Anne Maguire, NP
Lorraine Fender, DNP, RN, Nurse Manager, and Anne Maguire, NP, of the Mount Sinai West Institute for Advanced Medicine, known as the Samuels Clinic, were recently recognized at the daily huddle of Mount Sinai Health System leaders. The reason: Ms. Maguire and Ms. Fender acted swiftly and decisively in leading a spur-of-the-moment team that helped save a patient’s life.
While in office hours, Ms. Maguire noticed a patient sitting in a chair with his head against the wall. When approached, the patient was pale and unresponsive, and Ms. Maguire immediately called for help. Ms. Fender responded to the call, and together with Jeffrey Fishberger, MD, the three lifted the patient from his chair and placed him on the floor. Ms. Maguire realized that the patient did not have a pulse and was not breathing.
After instructing Ms. Fender to begin CPR, Ms. Maguire called out for someone to call the Code Team, which specializes in emergency response, and practice manager Rachel Gonzalez did so immediately. Meanwhile, Mariko Yamasaki, RN, BSN, helped set up the automatic external defibrillator, and Michael Olivier-De La Torre, DNP, assisted with manual resuscitation while Ms. Fender performed compressions.
The team continued CPR until the Code Team arrived and took over. The patient was intubated, medicated, and defibrillated several times, but remained unresponsive. Ms. Fender and Ms. Maguire stayed with him as Ms. Fender continued compressions, and the decision was made to transport the patient to the ED to continue CPR.
The staff in the Samuels Practice later found out that the patient survived and was transferred to Mount Sinai Morningside. Upon discharge from the hospital, the patient returned to Samuels for an appointment with his primary care physician. He expressed his appreciation and thanked the staff for saving his life.
When Ms. Fender and Ms. Maguire were told they would be celebrated, they wanted to make sure that others were also recognized, including Dr. Fishberger, Mariko Yamasaki, Michael Olivier-De La Torre, Rachel Gonzalez, and the Mount Sinai West Code Team. By working collaboratively, they were able to save a patient’s life. They went on to say that a situation like this is one of the many reasons they come to work every day and try to make a difference in the lives of their patients. They thanked the Samuels Clinic faculty and staff for a job well done and the team’s remarkable collaboration.
