Tragedy fuels empathy

It was Chun (Maria) Seo’s first day back to work in the pulmonary unit at Athens Regional Medical Center last July. Her son had died in a freak climbing accident on Mount Baker in Washington and Seo had taken time off from work to grieve.

Her first patient had suffered a major stroke, which paralyzed her right side and left her unable to talk. Seo began offering comfort and help to the woman’s family, which needed to make many frightening decisions.

[an error occurred while processing this directive]

Enlarge this image

Barry Williams / AJC Special

Chun (Maria) Seo is a pulmonary nurse at Athens Regional Medical Center. ‘I treat [patients] like part of my family and show them love,’ she said.

“With the loss of my son, my ability to empathize with the losses of my patients is so different now,” said Seo, RN, BSN. “My nursing skills haven’t changed, but emotionally, I find that I’m just able to be there with them.”

Debbie Carswell noticed and was grateful.

“Maria Seo was so caring, compassionate and always seemed to be there before we knew we might need her,” she said. “Mom had so many complications at first and we felt so inadequate to handle them or know what to do.

“Maria was so helpful in showing us things to watch for and trying to help us communicate with Mom. Some days we had to call the nurses numerous times, but Maria always came in with that big smile and willingness to help any way she was needed.”

Seo, 51, came to the United States from South Korea with her husband, who was earning a doctorate in chemistry. When he began having migraine headaches, she began researching the subject to find remedies.

That got her interested in nursing, so when her husband got a job, she enrolled in South Dakota State University and graduated in 1998.

“Nursing, to me, means caring and love. You can save someone’s life as a nurse, but even in small ways you can touch their lives and make a difference,” Seo said.

In pulmonary nursing, Seo often cares for patients for several weeks. Many are depressed and their families have fears and concerns about how to care for their loved ones.

“I just try to put myself in their place and ask myself what I can do for them,” she said. “I treat them like part of my family and show them love. I think they sense it, and the caring motivates them to heal.”