I worked in Bellevue Hospital’s emergency department in NYC back in the 1970s.  It’s where I “cut my teeth” in nursing and it has always been a source of pride.  Bellevue ED nurses were considered to be top-notch, able to handle any situation that came through the door. We stood our ground with overbearing physicians and administrators; Lori Chiarelli, my Head Nurse, set a high bar. I visited there last week and met with Marion Machado, the Head Nurse of the Emergency Ward (EW). (I like that they still use the Head Nurse title—there’s no doubt as to who is in charge.)

Machado is a no-nonsense, roll-up-your-sleeves-and-get-it-done kind of person with a quick smile and sarcastic wit (a perfect ED nurse). She was wearing blue scrubs and a stethoscope around her neck; we sat at the work station in the middle of the EW, a large room with 10 beds around the perimeter.  As we talked, her eyes moved constantly, scanning monitors and people and occasionally shouting instructions to staff. She returned to the conversation at hand without missing a beat. […]