Operating with Compassion
Before her career in healthcare, Natalie Johnson spent 22 years earning her stripes as a heavy equipment operator at Bethlehem Steel.
“I was the only woman in a group of 20-plus men, so I had to be fearless,” she recalls. “When you see something that needs to be done, you jump in. You don’t hesitate—you just go.”
It was that sense of knowing when to jump in that compelled Johnson to strike up a conversation with a stranger on an elevator at Sinai Hospital in 2021.
“He had his head hung low, but when I asked him if he was ok, he said he was fine,” she shares. “Something told me to ask him again.”
This time the stranger revealed his truth: he was headed into surgery and, due to COVID restrictions, he had no friends or family to accompany him. He was alone—and scared.
Johnson didn’t hesitate to respond: “I told him, ‘You are not alone. At LifeBridge Health, we treat everyone like family. I’ll be your family today.’”
At the end of the elevator ride, Johnson told the man that she had to get ready for her shift as a surgical technician, but that she would find him as soon as possible. It was a promise she kept.
“His eyes lit up when he saw me in pre-op. He couldn’t believe I showed up,” she says.
Johnson held the man’s hand for more than an hour as he went through surgical prep. She talked to him about his family and his fears, reassuring him every step of the way.
“The anesthesiologist thanked me because it made such a difference in the man’s anxiety,” Johnson says.
Several hours later, Johnson went to check on the patient, only to learn he had been successfully discharged. Although she never got a chance to say goodbye, Johnson never expected any fanfare.
“To care bravely means to care without thinking twice about it,” she explains. “It’s not a question or a thought process. It’s just what you do.”
Recognizing Compassionate Care
Has someone at LifeBridge Health gone above and beyond to care for you? Share your story now at carebravely.org.
Photo: Surgical Technician Natalie Johnson