​ This nurse’s heart belongs to her hospital's critical care unt

This Valentine’s Day, Elyse Skolek, a nursing assistant at Advocate South Suburban Hospital, will be working side-by-side with teammates who have a special place in her heart.

Skolek joined the Nursing Team in December 2022 as the hospital’s ICU coordinator – just four years after receiving life-saving care from the team she works with today.

During her last year in high school, Skolek developed a kidney infection, pneumonia, organ failure and sepsis. After spending seven days in Advocate South Suburban's ICU, Skolek recovered, went home and attended her senior prom. She credits the ICU team – including registered nurses Jess McCabe and Mini Alexander – with keeping her spirits lifted with hopes of getting well enough to attend her senior prom.

“It was like having a friend with me all the time. Every single one [of the ICU team] was incredible,” Skolek says. “They’re my angels.”

Skolek had already planned to pursue a bachelor’s degree in nursing. So, after graduating high school, she stayed on course, expecting to specialize in OB or neonatal nursing. But after working as a float tech at a different hospital, Skolek says critical care nursing called her name.

Skolek reached out to McCabe via Facebook and asked about any open positions with her unit. And the rest is history.

“ICU was where my heart was,” Skoleksays. She added that due to some residual trauma from her grave illness, “Critical care was something I said I would never do…and now, it’s my goal. It’s what I really want to do. Now, I can’t imagine doing anything else.”