Mary Cote, MS, RN
Cardiac Surgery

Mary Cote talks with patient Joshua Runk.

Nominated by Justin Precourt, MSN, RN, nursing director, and Jacqueline Gagnon, MSN, RN, CCRN, CYT, unit educator, with letters of support from Catherine Saniuk, MSN, RN, clinical nurse educator, and the Nurse in Charge Group, Shapiro 6E/7EW.

Mary Cote, MS, RN, is known among her colleagues on Shapiro 6E/7EW as a leader who provides guidance and support to patients and her peers.

“Mary always brings the team together to provide excellent care to patients and families, and her commitment to mentoring and fostering the growth of our new staff cannot be overstated,” said Nursing Director Justin T. Precourt, MSN, RN, who nominated Cote for the award. “Even in the most chaotic and complex situations, patients continue to receive excellent care, in part due to Mary’s ability to adapt to adversity and manage in a complex environment, keeping the patient at the center of all care decisions.”

Cote is a member of a unit-based committee that created a Cardiac Surgical Intermediate Care SharePoint site designed to make information readily available to staff in the unit. She worked with another staff nurse and the unit’s nurse educators to develop the site’s content, Precourt said, with a goal of creating a homepage that was not only warm and welcoming but also showed how the unit works together.

“Now when someone signs onto the site, they see how everyone works together as a team, through a collage of photos and compilation of clinical narratives and case studies,” Precourt said. “Not only is Mary elevating her own practice, but her energy and enthusiasm elevate the practice environment for those surrounding her.”

Nurse Educator Jacqueline Gagnon, MSN, RN, CCRN, CYT, said that while Cote goes above and beyond for her patients, their families and her co-workers, she humbly describes what she does as simply “the right thing to do.”

“Mary delivers excellent care to patients, families and everyone she works with,” Gagnon wrote in a letter of support. “She is truly a leader who feels that success as a team is more important than anything she can achieve alone.”

Cote earned her BSN from Boston College, and her MSN from the University of California, San Francisco, with a specialty in cardiovascular physiology and a minor in education. She joined BWH’s Cardiac Surgical Step Down Unit in 1994, after working as a staff nurse at University of California, San Francisco Medical Center.

Diane Miller, MPA/H, BSN, RN
Thoracic Surgery ICU

Diane Miller cares for patient Cindy Elias.

Nominated by Joyce Thomas-Browning, MS, RN, nursing director, with letters of support from Charlene Haouiliya, LICSW, Louise Caperelli-White, MSN, RN, unit educator, and George R. Washko, MD.

Diane Miller, MPA/H, BSN, RN, is both a listener and an advocate, two qualities that she regularly calls upon in her role as a critical care nurse and nurse in charge in the Thoracic Surgery ICU.

Many of the patients Miller cares for are at the end of life. Her colleagues say that she both listens to what her patients are saying, and encourages them to voice their wishes on how they would like to be cared for at the end of life.

“Diane works with and often leads others to act responsibly and courageously on behalf of her patients and their families,” said nursing director Joyce Thomas-Browning, MS, RN, who nominated Miller for the award. “She is not afraid to bring the issues of end-of-life care forward, and she is willing to consult and collaborate with social work, ethics service, the medical team and her peers as needed to make sure the care needs of the patient and family are addressed.”

Miller has presented at 11C’s monthly ethics luncheon, Nursing Grand Rounds and the NIC Forum about dealing with difficult end-of-life issues that present ethical dilemmas. Thomas-Browning says Miller constantly strives toward her goal of making sure her patients die with dignity and without suffering.

Charlene Haouiliya, LICSW, described Miller’s passion for doing what is right for both the patient and the family.

“I remember one specific end-of-life case in which Diane helped the team realize not only that the patient was dying, but that the patient himself was asking for help with the process,” Haouiliya said. “It was an extremely delicate and difficult situation, but one that needed to be recognized. Diane was thoughtful in her words, yet did not waiver. She knew what this patient wanted and was able to get all of the team members on the same page.”

Miller earned her BSN from Boston University School of Nursing and her masters in public administration/health at Suffolk University School of Management. She joined BWH’s Surgical Intensive Care Unit in 1987, and spent time in the General Surgical/Burn Unit and Surgical Intensive Care Unit before accepting her current position as nurse in charge for the Thoracic Intensive Care Unit.

William Poirier, MSN, RN
Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit

William Poirier reviews discharge materials with patient Charles P. Truman.

Nominated by Vincent Vacca, MSN, RN, CCRN, unit educator, with letters of support from Erika Giovanniello, student nurse, Sarah B. Thompson, MSN, RN, nurse educator 15CD, and Shaun Golden, BSN, RN, nursing director, Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit.

With a passion for caring, a desire to promote health, an inclination to teach, and most of all, a love of humanity, William Poirier, MSN, RN, is perfectly suited for the profession of nursing.

“Bill is determined to be a great nurse, and he is,” said Vincent Vacca, MSN, RN, CCRN, clinical educator, who nominated Poirier for the award. “In our Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit, we care for patients from many walks of life, from homeless individuals to well-known celebrities. Regardless of their position in life, Bill cares for all patients as individuals deserving of the best care he has to offer and can provide.”

Poirier is a skilled clinician, his colleagues say, and he is also genuine in his expression of concern for his patients and their families. He is a member of the Partners in Care Team, which brings together colleagues from the Neuroscience units along with patient-family representatives to find ways to enhance the quality of care delivered by staff to patients and their families.

Poirier also has a reputation for displaying patience, calmness, kindness and acceptance when it comes to serving as a teacher and a mentor to nursing students.

“Bill is a model of what I always imagined a good nurse would be,” said Erika Giovanniello, a junior nursing student at Boston College who had Poirier as her clinical instructor. “I have seen how he interacts with patients and families, with other nurses he knows and with all his students. He is always kind, patient, thoughtful and generous with his knowledge and time.”

Poirier earned his MSN from University of Phoenix, a bachelor of science degree in psychology from Suffolk University and an associate’s degree in nursing from Bunker Hill Community College. He began at BWH in 1994 as a critical care nurse in the Cardiacthoracic Intensive Care Unit before joining the Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit.

Karen Wallace, BSN, RN
Bone Marrow Transplant Unit

Karen Wallace assists patient Patricia A. Upton.

Nominated by Kathleen Guimond, BSN, RN, CCRN, with letters of support from unit educators Ruth Muller, MSN, RN, AOCNS, Cathleen Rowland, MPH, RN, OCN, and Cynthia M. Jodoin, MHA, BSN, RN, OCN, nursing director.

As a staff nurse on Tower 6A, a Bone Marrow Transplant unit, Karen Wallace, BSN, RN, guides patients and their families as they journey on the path of a bone marrow transplant. She is also a patient advocate, seeking to serve the patient’s best interests and determining how she can fulfill those interests with dignity and respect.

“Karen has an in-depth knowledge of the care requirements for the patient undergoing a transplant, and she has the ability to connect in a caring and compassionate way to patients and their families,” said Kathleen Guimond, BSN, RN, CCRN, a nursing colleague who nominated Wallace for the award. “When patients get admitted, they are frightened. Karen, with her gentle smile, soft voice and light touch, is able to reassure and instruct them.

Guimond recalled one night on 6A when a patient preparing to begin chemotherapy asked her to shave her head.

“I had never done this before, and I knew I would need some help. Fortunately, Karen was working that evening,” Guimond said. “She began by explaining the procedure to the patient. She was gentle, and used touch. The conversation flowed and there was laughter. The patient, Karen and I were a team.”

Wallace is also a guide to her colleagues, serving as a mentor and coach.

“As an experienced nurse, Karen demonstrates excellent leadership skills both in relation to peers and in interactions with leadership team members,” wrote nursing director Cynthia M. Jodoin, MHA, BSN, RN, OCN, in a letter of support. “In conjunction with these skills is her willingness to teach less experienced staff by sharing her expert skills in a supportive manner, both formally as a preceptor and informally in her day-to-day interactions.”

Guimond, who had Wallace as her preceptor when she transferred to the BMT unit, agrees.

“I was blessed to have Karen as my preceptor. She opened her arms and surrounded me with the ‘essence of herself,’” Guimond said. “She was calm, friendly and made me feel at ease and safe. She set me up by creating a learning environment.”

Wallace earned her BSN from Southeastern Massachusetts University. She began at BWH as a staff nurse in the general medical and surgical unit at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, and then worked in the Medical Intensive Care Unit. She joined the Bone Marrow Transplant unit in 1985.