Nermin Ibrahim –Trillum Health Partners

(nominations from her role as NP student at University Health Network)

When I think of a nursing hero, I think of someone who carries their heart on their sleeve. I think of someone who expresses their caring and commitment to their patients, their community and the world. It is an individual who has an urge to make a difference in someone’s life, their suffering, their healing and ultimately their quality of life. It is with great admiration that I nominate Nermin Ibrahim.

My faith in humanity has been quite shaky at best, from everything that has been happening. Upon being admitted to Toronto General hospital, I was withdrawn from any expectation. Beyond great care I was receiving from the staff, I encountered a full of life, love and compassion clinician named “Nermin”. She was the nurse practitioner student with the general internal medicine team that was overlooking my care. I was admitted for three months and was followed by Nermin for two months. Nermin made my disdained reservations towards humanity disappear. It seems like I forgot what genuine concern for others looked like.

Nermin managed to make me laugh and see humans in a different light. I believe for such a wonderful person; she is unaware of the enormous impact she has on her patients. Just by being her kind self, I found myself being distracted from my severe pain, even if only for a brief moment. She radiates warmth and generosity. She is very patient and genuinely listens. She is extremely professional, diligent and meticulous with her assessments while remaining completely humane. Her sympathy and care for me will not be forgotten. Nermin made sure I was heard, understood and validated. She took the time to address my concerns sincerely. Her selfless care to everyone was so appreciated, and I know she gave the same care to everyone because that is her. She was always accessible and never made me or my family feel like we were imposing or a burden to her.

Nermin was very kind and compassionate to my family and me. My stay at the hospital was complicated with respiratory failure. I remember vaguely she sat at my bedside and calmly explained to me what’s going on and that she called my daughter who was on her way. Nermin came in to check on me and, on the family, almost every hour and ensured that all my family’s questions and concerns were addressed. She genuinely cares about her patients and goes above and beyond to keep them comfortable. In a couple of days, I got better, and nonetheless, she took the time to sit at my bedside and explain to me what happened for the past week.  She was never rushed and made the demands of her job seem like second nature.

I can’t even imagine what kind of toll her job must take on her life. Long working hours, watching people suffer, dealing with death, going above and beyond her call of duty. I don’t want to just say thank you, but I want to salute her for being a hero, every single day of her life. Nermin you are an amazing and astonishing clinician and human being. I know she would say she was just doing her job, but by being herself, working in harmonious sync with the team, she has my eternal gratitude. Nermin has a great heart that shows caring and professionalism in all she does. She is a great communicator and person that shows incredible compassion in all her actions. She made a stressful time bearable and helped me and my family feel at ease whenever she was around. I encourage other patients to come here to see what it looks like when a clinician loses herself in service of others, without requiring thanks. A huge thank you to Nermin, my angel with a stethoscope, who made a difference in my quality of life. Please continue to be the amazing light you are, making a difference in the lives of everyone you come across.

Nominated by Mr. K

NOMINATION TWO

I would like to nominate Nermin Ibrahim, a Nurse Practitioner student at Toronto General Hospital – who I encountered in January of this year.

I’ve probably written this nomination a hundred times in my head, but it never seems to convey the sincere gratitude that my family feels towards the staff at TGH. The knowledge and confidence of the staff helped me keep my shoulders straight and understand the process of dying. The love and compassion from everyone on the team made us feel like we were not alone. We received excellent care from all the staff, yet I have to single out a clinician who went the extra mile. Nermin was an extraordinary clinician who was most caring, and her only concern was the well being of her patients. My father’s exit was exactly what I had hoped for, and he was as comfortable and pain-free as is possible. It’s the little things that Nermin does to make a patient feel special. Words alone are not enough to explain all she has done.

Nermin has a gift that encourages people to open their minds to the views of others. She takes the time to get to know the patients and families she is caring for through the development of the therapeutic relationship. It is within this relationship that magic happens. She learns what is most important to patients and families, brings that forward to the team and challenges others to think differently by sharing the perspectives of the unique individuals whom she cares for. Her knowledge and expertise impressed me, considering she introduced herself as a nurse practitioner student with the internal medicine team. Still, her outstanding knowledge assured me that we were in good hands.

Words can’t express our appreciation for the care and compassion that Nermin brought to my dad during his last days. He had put up a long fight, and when he needed to let go, she helped us to let go and to feel at peace with our decision. It’s a fine line that you have to walk as your loved ones approach death. Thank you, Nermin, for her gentle hand and for allowing a certain level of personal choice to be retained. The time that she took to discuss my dad’s goals of care, and end of life choice was hard, but she did it with such a gentle and caring tone that it was not traumatic to my dad or me. I was struggling with deciding on the plan of care. Nermin was a huge support and a resource for us. Her hand-holding and support during this time is something I will never forget. When I look back at that time, I remember how stressful and aggressive I was at times, but her smile, calming face and her loving guidance through such sorrow is an irreplaceable asset. The care Nermin provided was above and beyond. Her care was sincere and heartfelt.

I am so grateful for having Nermin part of the team that took care of my dad in his last days. I want to say, thank you to unsung heroes such as Nermin for all that she does. Nermin exemplifies what a clinician should be; in fact, she raised the bar! Her concern, positive attitude and bedside manner were excellent. She is kind but professional, demonstrating kindness and empathy for us during these challenging times. She is truly a hero and recognizing her for her compassion, generosity and selflessness is the least I can do. Saying “Thank You” seems so insufficient, but I can find no words that truly express my feelings appropriately, so I will stick with those two simple words with the hope that she knows the depth of emotion and gratitude they contain.

Nominated by: Joanne, a grateful family member of a patient.

I am writing to nominate Nermin Ibrahim from the trillium health partners- diabetes management center for the nursing hero award.

For the second time, I am writing to nominate the same educator as last year, who is Nermin Ibrahim, as she is my hero.

She has been an extraordinary support for me over the past two years. It all started in March 2018 after my diagnosis with HIV and diabetes. At that time, I felt worthless, nothing, alone, and dreadfully sad. She gave me this hope and a glimmer of positivity that had been clouded by my depression and grievance for my life. Seeing how distraught I was, Nermin insured my safety by helping me agree to see a clinician to discuss my issues and was there for me. She spent lots of hours listening, supporting, and educating me on the steps that I needed to take. She had this ability to get me to open up about the most profound things in my life. Her calmness and knowledge of different situations made it that much easier. The feeling like I matter has been eye awakening. Nermin would continuously push me forward, helping me to exist without fear. She saved my life by always going the extra mile. Not only did she do that, but she was extremely humble about it always. All the time, she dismissed this truly amazing and kind behaviour as just part of her job

Nermin’s care is a true example of patient-centred care. I want to say Thank you so much for the difference she makes in the lives of her patients! Her kindness, sincere caring, and concern make everything better and are a great encouragement to her patients. She takes the time to listen and to make her patients feel valued and respected. I thank God often for her. Thank you Nermin for who you are and for the brilliant clinician you are.

The true genuine nature of Nermin’s care, tolerance, and the thought that she has given to the many phases of my emotional and mental storm in the face of my devastating diagnosis has been exceptional to me. Nermin has been my educator from March 2018 until Sept 2019, and I genuinely want to sincerely say thank you for lending all her skills: medical and humanitarian to me. Nermin is an exceptionally gifted clinician, and it was upsetting to temporarily lose her at the diabetes clinic as she had to take time off for continuing her education as a nurse practitioner. I am happy for her but saddened that she is not my educator anymore. I went back to the clinic and has seen other great clinicians, but they were not Nermin. They were knowledgeable and caring but not as kind, supportive as her. Not all clinicians would be willing to go the extra mile as Nermin would. She has always gone the extra mile to provide tender, love, and care over and above her duties. I am eternally grateful and can’t find an appropriate way to explain how much it means to me to be in her care.

It was a relief having her back at the diabetes clinic. I was scheduled to go in for a follow-up appointment during COVID-19 pandemic. I was planning to cancel it, but I received a call from the clinic, and it was Nermin. She was back and did a detailed phone visit and addressed all my questions in her caring and humble manner. It was such a relief knowing that she is back in her role to support and empower many other patients who might be going through rough times. Nermin is an exceptional clinician and human being. She is kind, smart, passionate, knowledgeable, and caring.

Because of Nermin, I know I matter. I know I have worth. I know that there are amazing people in this world who are willing to do whatever it takes to change someone’s life (like my life). That is why she is my hero. I cannot ever thank her enough for what she has given me, which in turn extends further to my family. I am forever grateful, and I can not think of another person who is more deserving of being recognized as a hero other than her as it is well deserved

Thank you

Karen

Karen