Angel of Mercy enjoys her profession
Published: November 3, 2005
She has been called an Angel of Mercy.
But Mary Beth Kissler, of Belle Vernon, believes nursing is “the most gratifying way to help people feel safe, secure and cared for.”
For 14 years she has been caring for neurosurgical patients at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital - one of Pittsburgh’s largest medical facilities.
She started her career as a bedside nurse in 1991 and advanced to charge nurse, preceptor, clinician and was recently promoted to primary nurse care coordinator.
n her new role she is responsible for the overall coordination of patient care and works closely with patients, family members, staff nurses, physicians, care managers, social workers and other disciplines.
She is known for “going the extra mile” in the dedicated profession and for that she has gained the respect and admiration of not only her patients and their families, but also of her peers.
It isn’t surprising that she was named UPMC Presbyterian’s choice for the prestigious Cameos of Caring award.
Kissler was honored, along with health care professionals representing 35 hospitals across a nine-county area of Western Pennsylvania and a facility in Palermo, Italy.
The 2005 Cameos of Caring Award Gala was held at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh.
A graduate of Belle Vernon Area High School, Kissler, who is married and the mother of two daughters, decided in the late 1980s “to go back to school.”
Her husband, Jim; Melissa and her older daughter, Brooke, were very supportive of her decision to become a nurse.
“I felt this was a challenging, rewarding and diverse way to make a difference in other people’s lives,” Kissler said.
She was recognized as an “Angel of Mercy” early in her career by an appreciative family when she went out of her way to calm their fears about the patient missing Mass.
She wasn’t his nurse at the time, but she saw to it that he got to the chapel and even stayed to pray with him.
Mary Beth wears a St. Anthony medal that came to her along with a note acknowledging her “caring for those who cannot care for themselves.
“The bereaved husband of one of her patients who died wrote: “Please take her St. Anthony medal, which she wore every day. I know of no one more fitting than you for such a treasure.”
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