It’s scary any time you or a loved one is rushed to the emergency room, but a comforting member of the hospital team can make all the differ­ence. When her mother, Marcia Basto, needed emergency care, Lisa Guinta looked to her friend and fellow nurse Marie Foley-Danecker, DNP, RN, CCRN, NE-BC, and senior manager of patient care at Ocean Medical Center, for help.

“My mom called me one morning and told me that her [International Normalized Ratio] levels weren’t right,” Lisa says, adding that her mother had a history of heart problems. “I told her to go to the hospital just in case, because she tests herself at home and [the results] aren’t always accurate.”

Lisa’s sister accompanied Marcia to Ocean while Lisa went to a wed­ding. Marcia seemed to be doing well in the hospital, but suddenly and unexpectedly, she went into cardiac arrest.

“My sister called me frantic and I needed to turn around to get there,” Lisa recalls. “With so much traffic in front of me, I knew I needed to call someone to be with my sister; I phoned Marie.”

Lisa knew that Marie worked at Ocean and they had worked together in the past.

“In the years that I’ve known her, she has always gone above and beyond for patients to make sure they were comfortable and well-informed,” Lisa says.

Marie stayed by Lisa’s sister’s side until Lisa and the rest of the family could arrive. She provided a source of comfort as well as updates from inside the room about what the doctors were doing to save their mother’s life.

Soon, her mother was stabilized and in the ICU. Lisa is extremely thankful for the entire medical team, especially Marie.

“I know that Marie and I had a rela­tionship beforehand, but even if we didn’t have that personal connection, Marie would do all in her power to make sure that the patient and their family were taken care of,” Lisa says.

More About Marie

What drew you to this career?

I come from a family of nurses, and the values of advocacy and caring for others were instilled in us.

What is your favorite part of your job?

The people! Our incredible team is the reason our organizational culture is so strong. Providing excellent care is at the core of our beliefs. We have the opportunity every day to make a positive difference in some­one’s life. What could possibly be better?

Next Steps & Resources

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