Joseph Long, licensed practical nurse
Joseph Long, a licensed practical nurse, joined the Mount Sinai Doctors Internal Medicine Associates practice seven months ago as a new graduate. According to Sandra Casey, MSN, Associate Nursing Director of the practice, he is a dedicated and compassionate team member. Joseph was recognized recently for going above and beyond in his care of a patient who was returning home after an office visit with Sara Towne, MD.
Dr. Towne recounts, “A few weeks ago, Joseph, my resident, and I were the last people in the evening session, and we had a patient who was determined to go home, despite having an unsteady gait. The patient did not have a rolling walker or any assistive device. Joseph walked the patient out of the practice and to the bus stop on Madison Avenue before going home. This was almost 9 pm.”
Joseph does not consider his action extraordinary. “Walking this patient to the bus wasn’t an effort to be a better nurse or offer a better patient experience—I was just treating another person with the courtesy they deserved,” he says. “And while I’m grateful for being recognized, I am not a unique example. I see members of my team perform these sorts of small, meaningful gestures every day. They step out of the role of caregiver and see their patients as human beings, treating them with compassion and respect. “