Christopher Ajello
November 2023
Christopher
Ajello
,
MS, MSN, RN-BC
Silverstein 9
Hospital of the University of Pennsy;vania
Philadelphia
,
PA
United States
Chris went out of his way to do a simple thing, and it was his kindness and consideration that made him an outstanding nurse in that situation.
I am honored to nominate RN Chris Ajello for the DAISY Award. My initial encounter with Chris was when I was transferred from the emergency department to Silverstein 9, where he was the receiving nurse. His exceptional care, medical expertise, and warm personality immediately eased my worries despite my challenging condition. Chris instilled hope in me for a positive outcome following a potential lung transplant. Even after two weeks, he took the time to visit me in the step-down post-transplant unit at HUP 9 Campus. His visit meant the world to me.
***
As a patient, I have had Chris for two days when I was in the hospital. I had been in the hospital for about three weeks, feeling absolutely normal, but because of my low blood count levels, I could not safely be released from the hospital. Chris vouched for me and asked my doctors if I could go outside for some fresh air since it does get a little boring in a hospital room. This raised my spirits so much, I cannot describe the impact it made on my mental state.
Chris went out of his way to do a simple thing, and it was his kindness and consideration that made him an outstanding nurse in that situation. But also, another moment of skillful nursing was when he taught me how to inject my own shots. When I would be released, I would have to give myself shots every day for the near future. I did not know how to self-inject, and frankly, I was a little worried about these shots and how to give them to myself properly. However, over two days, Chris showed and taught me the tips and tricks to make sure I was confident in self-injecting at home. He took the extra time to answer all my questions, like where I should give myself the shots, the correct way of holding the syringe, or disposal questions. He even mentioned things like to inject right next to where I pinch the skin, since that pocket is prime to eliminate pain and for the medicine to be kept under the skin.
The first time I did it myself, I was kind of terrified, but Chris walked me through it, and I realized that giving myself shots wasn’t bad at all. I am so grateful for the amount of time that Chris took to help me and make me feel confident. His nursing expertise and compassion made me feel like I was well taken care of in the hospital, and that I was ready to take care of myself out of the hospital too.
***
As a patient, I have had Chris for two days when I was in the hospital. I had been in the hospital for about three weeks, feeling absolutely normal, but because of my low blood count levels, I could not safely be released from the hospital. Chris vouched for me and asked my doctors if I could go outside for some fresh air since it does get a little boring in a hospital room. This raised my spirits so much, I cannot describe the impact it made on my mental state.
Chris went out of his way to do a simple thing, and it was his kindness and consideration that made him an outstanding nurse in that situation. But also, another moment of skillful nursing was when he taught me how to inject my own shots. When I would be released, I would have to give myself shots every day for the near future. I did not know how to self-inject, and frankly, I was a little worried about these shots and how to give them to myself properly. However, over two days, Chris showed and taught me the tips and tricks to make sure I was confident in self-injecting at home. He took the extra time to answer all my questions, like where I should give myself the shots, the correct way of holding the syringe, or disposal questions. He even mentioned things like to inject right next to where I pinch the skin, since that pocket is prime to eliminate pain and for the medicine to be kept under the skin.
The first time I did it myself, I was kind of terrified, but Chris walked me through it, and I realized that giving myself shots wasn’t bad at all. I am so grateful for the amount of time that Chris took to help me and make me feel confident. His nursing expertise and compassion made me feel like I was well taken care of in the hospital, and that I was ready to take care of myself out of the hospital too.