Sharon Meyer has spent eight years as an operating room nurse at Holy Name. Last summer, she found herself on the other side of the experience — and it changed her forever.
It started as a dream trip. While vacationing in Puerto Rico in September 2025, Sharon slipped on steps in Old San Juan and fractured her left fifth metatarsal, the outermost bone of her foot. She also broke her right ankle in three places. Local emergency room physicians reset her ankle on the spot, without pain medication.
"It was incredibly painful," Sharon recalled.
While on her ER cot in Puerto Rico, she did what felt natural: She sent her X-rays directly to Dr. Dennis Pfisterer, the Chief of Orthopedic Surgery at Holy Name, who she had worked alongside for years. His answer was clear: Come home, you need surgery.
Back at Holy Name, the difference in her care was immediate. Dr. Pfisterer was able to schedule her surgery the day after she returned to NJ, and after four days in recovery at the hospital, he arranged for medical equipment to be delivered directly to Sharon’s house. That way, she could recuperate in the comfort of her home with Holy Name physical therapists and not at a rehabilitation facility.
Recovery, though, was grueling. Sharon had to be non-weight-bearing for eight weeks, which caused her to lose all muscle mass in her legs. She had to relearn how to walk.
"I felt defeated really quickly," she admitted. "I called Dr. Pfisterer and he calmed me down. He explained I needed to rebuild my strength. He was always available, and that meant everything."
Her rehabilitation eventually transitioned to HNH Fitness in Oradell. Sharon was impressed by the quality of care she received from her colleagues.
"Everyone was phenomenal," she said.
Sharon returned to work on January 5, 2026 and is now back to walking 13,000 steps a day through long OR shifts. The experience reshaped how she shows up for her own patients.
"Being on the other side, going through it from start to finish, made me so much more empathetic," she said. "I thought I understood what patients go through. I do now. It's made me a better nurse."
