My husband recently had another stay at UVA because he has cancer. He has always had great nurses, some better than others, but this last stay, Carley Knuckles was his nurse for several days, and she was the absolute best that I have ever encountered. She not only had great bedside manners, but she also really cared, and she was not just doing her time to get a paycheck. She cheered my husband up when he needed it, made him laugh when he needed it, got him to drink medicine when he struggled by continuously encouraging him, and made sure he was comfortable. She made sure his pain medication was working and he was comfortable and she went as far as writing it on the board of his timing and to call her in 30 or 45 to make sure it was or wasn't working and if it wasn't then she was getting break through medicine or getting new orders from a doctor for a higher dose. She stayed on his pain like I have never seen done because she cared! She constantly checked on him. She made sure he understood everything and would explain things that he didn't. If I needed something, she also made sure I got what I needed. She would page the doctor for me to speak to and come back to see if the doctor had come by, and if not, then she would page him again.

Her care and compassion for her patients were ones that many could learn from. Speaking of learning, my husband had to have a little procedure and she asked if she could bring in another nurse to show her the process and we said sure and she explained to the other nurse professionally and explained everything thoroughly and made sure she understood everything being done. As I said in the beginning, my husband got the pleasure of having her every day during his stay, and every day she was the same happy and willing to please attitude that she had every day with that infectious smile. Even during his release, she made sure we understood his home instructions. As we were getting ready to leave, she gave him a dose of pain medication because we had a 3-hour drive home for his comfort and asked him if he had a comfortable pillow for extra padding on the car seat going home, and got him a cushion for his comfort on our ride home. No nurse has suggested pain medication for our ride or much less a pillow because he is a bone from the cancer and she was worried about his comfort riding home. It wasn't like other nurses hurrying to get you out the door and not worry about your comfort because you are out the door and not their problem anymore. I have never witnessed such compassion and care that she showed to my husband or I and we will always remember her and the impact she had on my husband and I. She definitely is an angel in disguise and in the right profession and any patient that gets lucky enough to have her as a nurse is truly blessed!