February 2012
Cynthia
Palombo
,
MSN, MS
Cardiac Rehab
UPMC Shadyside
Pittsburgh
,
PA
United States
When I first came to the unit as a heart patient, Cindy greeted me with a smile and a great welcome. Immediately she made me feel at home. I was nervous about the whole thing, but it was Cindy that allayed my apprehension. At that point, I knew that I would be well taken care of and that I would be treated in a pleasant manner. It was like being admitted to a family.
Cindy explained in detail privately what activity was expected of me. She showed me the exercise equipment that I was to use.
I also saw that this attention was given to all the patients whom she served. In other words, the patient is not treated like a number, but as a person. She truly takes and interest in each patients.
Whether Cindy is taking a blood pressure reading or setting up the monitor, it is always with care and concern. As she does this, there is conversation that usually ends in laughter. It is just not routine even though she has done this a thousand or more times.
She has frequently given me sincere encouragement when I am really worried and concerned about my condition. She pleasantly gets me ready for the exercise machines with care.
One of Cindy’s great qualities is the fact that you never know if she is having a “bad day”. She is very consistent in keeping her sense of humor and has deep concern for the patients. One day, I was having a nose bleed which I did not notice, but Cindy did. She made sure that she stopped the bleeding so that I could continue my exercise. She is extremely cautious that I do not overdo it even when I myself try to “cheat”.
As a matter of fact, I was told by my oncologist that I needed to have a port. No one explained what the procedure would be like. When I told Cindy about it, she gave me encouragement and provided me with a printout explaining the procedure. On the day of the procedure, neither the nurse nor doctor explained the procedure to me beforehand. It was taken for granted that I knew what was going to happened. Cindy in her empathy for patients does not take medical care for granted. She is very special in this regard.
All in all, I believe that Cindy is an extra special rehab nurse. To me, she is one in a “million” and deserves special applause from not only her patients, but also from her supervisors.
Cindy explained in detail privately what activity was expected of me. She showed me the exercise equipment that I was to use.
I also saw that this attention was given to all the patients whom she served. In other words, the patient is not treated like a number, but as a person. She truly takes and interest in each patients.
Whether Cindy is taking a blood pressure reading or setting up the monitor, it is always with care and concern. As she does this, there is conversation that usually ends in laughter. It is just not routine even though she has done this a thousand or more times.
She has frequently given me sincere encouragement when I am really worried and concerned about my condition. She pleasantly gets me ready for the exercise machines with care.
One of Cindy’s great qualities is the fact that you never know if she is having a “bad day”. She is very consistent in keeping her sense of humor and has deep concern for the patients. One day, I was having a nose bleed which I did not notice, but Cindy did. She made sure that she stopped the bleeding so that I could continue my exercise. She is extremely cautious that I do not overdo it even when I myself try to “cheat”.
As a matter of fact, I was told by my oncologist that I needed to have a port. No one explained what the procedure would be like. When I told Cindy about it, she gave me encouragement and provided me with a printout explaining the procedure. On the day of the procedure, neither the nurse nor doctor explained the procedure to me beforehand. It was taken for granted that I knew what was going to happened. Cindy in her empathy for patients does not take medical care for granted. She is very special in this regard.
All in all, I believe that Cindy is an extra special rehab nurse. To me, she is one in a “million” and deserves special applause from not only her patients, but also from her supervisors.