Power of Nurse-Patient Storytelling: Nursing Care in Pandemic Times

Uniquely present to the intimacy of direct patient care, nurses have always been on the frontlines of healthcare, and especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

On May 5th, 2021, Health Story Collaborative hosted a “live” virtual storytelling event at Mass General Hospital as part of the 2021 Nurse Recognition celebration.

Our goal was to honor both patient and nurse voices and to highlight nurse-patient relationships. 

Featured storytellers included: 

• Michelle (Mitch) Vassilopoulus, RN, a staff nurse in the Wang Center for Perioperative Care who was deployed to COVID units early in the pandemic, during the months of March and April, 2020.  

• Rhea Photopoulos, a Nurse Practitioner in the Tucker Gosnell Center for Gastrointestinal Cancers in the MGH Cancer Center and her dear friend and college roommate (28 years ago!), Annalisa di Palma. During the pandemic, Annalisa’s mom, Carol, was admitted to MGH for worsening ovarian cancer and was ultimately discharged home with hospice. She died on July 15th, 2020. Rhaea played a significant role in Carol’s care and comfort and the end of her life.