Tony Zaya was nominated 10 times in 11 months. Here are his nominations:
Name of Nurse: Tony Zaya (nomination 1)
Tell us why this nurse is excellent:
Tony, Tony, Tony! Best male nurse ever! He is the funniest person ever! From trying to make
me walk at 4 in the morning, to making me drink Ensures, when I already brushed my teeth, he
is a crack up! Pretty much my first and best male nurse ever! He talked to me about anything
and everything and just made me feel comfortable. Just always made me laugh.
How does this nurse make a special connection with your family and child?:
Family LOVED him! Hilarious! He was doing math problems with my sister, since he was a math
teacher and they were just going back and forth with problems. Just always brought laughter to
the room.
Share examples of how the nurse educates your family and child:
Always asked if anyone needed anything, always said what he was doing and answered
questions that I or my family had. Very knowledgeable with everything.
Describe a situation during which this nurse made your family and child feel comfortable:
All the time! Always made everyone laugh and was always upbeat and happy!
Tell us how this nurse includes your family and child in the planning of their care:
Like above he always said what he was doing and made sure that I knew what he was doing
along with my family if they were there.
Name of Nurse: Tony Zaya (nomination 2)
Tell us why this nurse is excellent:
Tony is an exceptional nurse for many reasons... his attention to detail that borderlines
compulsive (in a good way), his ability to listen and seriously take what you say as a parent into
consideration and the way he makes you feel like your child is the most important part of his day
no matter how busy he may be.
How does this nurse make a special connection with your family and child?:
He is a very kind soul that makes the patient and parents feel like they are his number one
priority.
Share examples of how the nurse educates your family and child:
Our son is 8 months so there was no education needed, but for us as parents, he took the time
to discuss every aspect of his care.
Describe a situation during which this nurse made your family and child feel comfortable:
At all times, that is why he stands out. There was not a single time we felt uncomfortable.
Tell us how this nurse includes your family and child in the planning of their care:
By really listening to our opinions and taking them into consideration with each step of our son’s
care and recovery gave us a sense that not only could we really help contribute, but it also gives
us that extra sense of ease for when we go home that because we helped decide the recovery
path, we will be that much more successful.
Name of Nurse: Tony Zaya (nomination 3)
Tell us why this nurse is excellent:
Our 8 month old son stayed on Tony's floor after his colostomy take down surgery, and Tony's
care was excellent.
How does this nurse make a special connection with your family and child?:
He was very nice and did everything we asked of him and then he did even more.
Share examples of how the nurse educates your family and child:
Tony was very capable and careful about explaining things in a way that a non-medical person
could understand.
Describe a situation during which this nurse made your family and child feel comfortable:
Our son had a reaction, a rash that made him very uncomfortable, to a medication that he was
given after his surgery. Tony kept checking on our son and trying different things to make him
more comfortable. Tony asked the doctors to change his medication several times until the
situation was resolved. He never stopped checking in on our son until he was resting and the
rash was gone.
Tell us how this nurse includes your family and child in the planning of their care:
Tony made sure prior to checking out, that we were comfortable and knowledgeable about our
child's post-operative care and needs.
Name of Nurse: Anthony Zaya (nomination 4)
Tell us why this nurse is excellent: He is excellent because he does his work very quick and
have a lot of time to help other nurses and all while making sure I'm okay as well.
How does this nurse make a special connection with your family and child?: He knows how
to talk to me when I'm not myself. He can make me feel better again and he is very funny at
times.
Share examples of how the nurse educates your family and child: He was a part of the
homecare teaching he taught my mom both of shots and he explains things before he does
things.
Describe a situation during which this nurse made your family and child feel comfortable: He
makes my bed and the guest bed he makes sure of my safety things are in check. He tries to
keep me on schedule.
Tell us how this nurse includes your family and child in the planning of their care: He makes
sure everyone knows and understands what is happening with me.
Name of Nurse: Tony Zaya (nomination 5)
Tell us why this nurse is excellent: He had my son smiling and was on top of his care. He
was genuine. He told my son that they would dance to Justin Beber. By 5 am they were
dancing. We never had a nurse like him. You know he treated everyone like this and he loved
his job. He was concerned as if it were his own child. He met my 5 year old on his level and
treated him like he wasn't sick. He was more than excellent. He put my son in a good mood
very quickly and had him forgetting that he had a probe going down his nose. He had both of us
laughing right from the beginning.
How does this nurse make a special connection with your family and child?: He made a
special connection when Tony first met my son. My son had sun glasses on and he talked
about this song "I wear my sun glasses at night". Well, my son loves music. They started
talking about Justin Beber and how my son has moves and loves to dance. Tony promised that
they would dance to Justin Beber. Well by 3:30am my son wanted to dance. He talked about it
all night and into the morning. by 5am my son and Tony were dancing. My son loved Tony.
We would have taken him home if we could. He made and instant connection and a lasting
connection. He is one of the most amazing nurses we ever had.
Share examples of how the nurse educates your family and child: He talked with us with a
medication we could try for his throat but knew with my son’s allergies that some of the things in
it could cause an allergy. He ordered it just for me to read. He understood his allergies and
also ordered die free Tylenol.
Describe a situation during which this nurse made your family and child feel comfortable: He
made us feel comfortable the confidence he displaced. He came in and paid close attention to
my son when he was having trouble eating.
Tell us how this nurse includes your family and child in the planning of their care: He let me be
involved in all of his care. Any medication I was reading and he would discuss the medication
with me. He discussed the empidence probe and the importance of things not moving around.
He was understood my son’s care and was on top of his needs and mine.
Name of Nurse: tony zaya (nomination 6)
Tell us why this nurse is excellent:
Tony has gone above and beyond to make sure my son and myself feel very welcome here. He
comes in every hour or so just to make sure there is nothing we need. And even though the
floor is busy if there is something we need we have it asap! I can’t tell him how much I
appreciate everything he done.
How does this nurse make a special connection with your family and child?:
has a conversation with us just like I would have a conversation with my family
Share examples of how the nurse educates your family and child:
every time I had a question about how a procedure would go, if he didn't know the answer he
went and printed off information immediately.
Describe a situation during which this nurse made your family and child feel comfortable:
Everything he done at any point during our stay made us feel comfortable. He offered to watch
my son while I tried to get some sleep, he knew I was exhausted
Tell us how this nurse includes your family and child in the planning of their care:
I feel he gave me more information and talked to me more and heard me more than the doctors
did:)
Name of Nurse: Tony Zaya (nomination 7)
Tell us why this nurse is excellent:
Tony met my medical needs in a timely manner even if it was not at his convenience. In
addition, Tony took extra time to lift my playful spirits and encouraged my playful heart in which I
believe pushed me to the speedy recovery I experienced.
Thank You Tony!!
How does this nurse make a special connection with your family and child?:
Tony took time out to listen to our concerns.
Share examples of how the nurse educates your family and child:
Tony kept us informed immediatly of issues or cautionary steps we needed to be aware of.
Describe a situation during which this nurse made your family and child feel comfortable:
Child was having issues with releasing his urine. Tony watched his improvements very closely
never losing sight of the signs at hand. Leading us to believe that our child was very well taken
care of and had an advocate to speak on his behalf. He coordinated pain team and other
specialists as needed to meet my child's medical needs.
Tell us how this nurse includes your family and child in the planning of their care:
Tony kept us informed every step of the way in addition to always taking the time to ask for the
family's concerns/thoughts/questions.
Name of Nurse: Tony Zaya (nomination 8)
Tell us why this nurse is excellent: Tony's attention to detail, positive attitude and
thoroughness in his care are what set him apart in nursing. We have been fortunate to have
him as a nurse for our son on several occasions. On this particular admission, I am extremely
grateful for his wonderful documentation.
How does this nurse make a special connection with your family and child?: During this
visit a medication was prescribed even though it was listed in our son's allergy profile. I was
unable to recall his allergic response, our fellow was able to look through our son's chart and
find Tony's note of why he added the med as an allergen and what our son's response was. His
documentation and attention to detail may have prevented a life threatening mistake.
Share examples of how the nurse educates your family and child: Tony goes out of his way to
tell us about any changes to orders before they are implemented. This helps us to feel
empowered as parents in a stressful setting.
Describe a situation during which this nurse made your family and child feel comfortable: Tony
often makes mundane activities like night time meds into fun "games" with our son. Counting or
giving high 5's for each medication.
Tell us how this nurse includes your family and child in the planning of their care: Tony always
asks for our input in every aspect of Sam's care. He asks how we do it at home to try to
maintain continuity for Sam which is important to us. Tony is a blessing to our son and our
family as a whole!
Name of Nurse: Tony Zaya (nomination 9)
Tell us why this nurse is excellent: Tony was so personable and friendly. My son was feeling
down about his hospital stay, and Tony kept him occupied by joking with him, asking about his
activities, giving him advise about college (son is almost 18), etc. His fun nature and kind
presence uplifted my son's spirits. tony is SO funny.
How does this nurse make a special connection with your family and child?: Tony even
stopped in to visit our son when he wasn't assigned to him one night. He came by to wish us all
well when we left. We could see he really cared sincerely. He lifted our spirits.
Share examples of how the nurse educates your family and child: He explained everything he
was doing so that we had a big picture what was going on.
Describe a situation during which this nurse made your family and child feel comfortable: Tony
was really quiet during the night time visits. Whispering and keeping the lights out. He has a
calming presence. He always talked to me and my husband too, giving us math riddles.
Tell us how this nurse includes your family and child in the planning of their care: Tony address
all of us, he was patient and answered all questions. Always asked if there was any way he
could help. We could not have asked for more in a nurse. He is excellent at nursing care,
communication with the patient and family and genuinely caring.
Name of Nurse: Tony Zaya (nomination 10)
Tell us why this nurse is excellent: Tony has a bedside manner unlike any other. He is kind,
endearing and clearly has a way with children and families. From the minute he walks in, he
thoroughly explains what he is doing and way and is willing to answer many questions. Night
shifts can go one way or the other. When you have a child recovering from major surgery who
doesn't sleep well and is in pain, there is no better nurse than Tony. We have had the
unfortunate experience of spending too much time in our son’s 6 short years of live. If we could
bring Tony back to our local hospital, he'd be the best one in the building.
How does this nurse make a special connection with your family and child?: He is kind,
speaks in a soothing tone, clearly explained what he was doing. Tony consistently asked if our
child or we needed anything and did everything he could to make our son more comfortable. His
bedside manner was top rate.
Share examples of how the nurse educates your family and child: Tony talked to us about what
to expect post Hirschprug surgery and even explained pain medications.
Describe a situation during which this nurse made your family and child feel comfortable: It was
post-surgery and we were nervous about everything. Tony let us ask questions over and over
again.
Tell us how this nurse includes your family and child in the planning of their care: Over the
course of 10 days here, we have met many nurses. While some are as good as he is, some can
definitely learn quite a few things from Tony.