"I think this is a world lesson for everyone about treating everyone with more sincerity and genuineness and straightforwardness, and we don't have to do everything just to entertain ourselves," Manevitz said.

Not everyone wants their 15 minutes of celebrity, especially when it's unexpected, Manevitz said. Media attention may create a lot of anxiety, as well.

The hospital said Saldanha had worked there for more than four years as an "excellent nurse," and that she was well-respected by coworkers. Classmates and colleagues in India, where she was from, described her as deeply religious, studious and benevolent.

"It's very sad that for whatever reason or reasons, this situation just felt so overwhelming to her that she felt there was no way to face the world," Kaslow said.