It is something that persons who work in hospitals know to be true:
Deaths come in three.
If two patients die in a week, a third will happen soon.
In my private life, yesterday the trilogy was completed
with the death of dear
Ms. MaryAnn Martin
She knew of this hospital legacy as for many, many years
she was an RN at Lady of the Sea, a staple there
just as Mr. Charles was.
As a new nurse at the age of 18, I trained with the best,
I trained with Ms. Martin.
If you were lucky to be trained by the famous Ms. Martin,
then you not only learned the correct way but
she demanded her own perfection in your work.
Some were afraid of Ms. Martin because she would
tell you if she did not think you were working to her potential.
To some she sounded harsh but it was really only because
she believed that a sick person deserved the very best of
everything while she was in our care.
If the staff was afraid of her, that was never the case of her
patients. People came in requesting her nursing service.
If she was charge nurse you can bet she was visiting
with every patient in that hospital making sure each nurse
and nursing aide was doing their job. If you weren't
get ready because she was calling you on it.
I worked under her but I also was lucky to have her as my own
nurse many times while being hospitalized.
She treated me with the kindest and most compassionate ways.
On one morning as a patient I was having a rough morning
as I was missing my little kiddies.
She climbed right onto the side of my bed and hugged and rocked
with me. Not many nurses would do that.
The thing was, she didn't do this just for me because I was also
a work partner, she did this to all her patients who needed it.
Ms. Martin was my Nannie's next door neighbor so it makes
me happy to know that they have left this world in such a close way.
She suffered in her last days as the dreaded cancer took her
away from us.
She was a phenomenal woman.
I am such a better person to have not only known her
but worked and loved under her.
I know many of my old LOS friends feel the same loss I do this morning.
So sorry to hear this. She was a wonderful person and an exceptional nurse!
ReplyDeleteVery well stated, Lilly.. We all have a part of Miss Martin instilled in us, She was the "Best of the Best". Yes, a phenomenal woman she was. When she was a patient many years ago, several nurses were afraid to have her as a patient. I took her without hesitation, I did not fear her for she always lead us in the right direction. She always prayed for all her patients and nurses. I knew I had extra prayers sent my way when she was my patient. Many of us have different memories of her, but all nursing care was done with perfection under her watch! She will continue to watch over all of us, she is our special Angel of Mercy!!
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