I was a patient admitted to the hospital for several days due to quickly deteriorating health and two trips to the ER that could not find a cause of my sickness. My fever and symptoms continued to increase daily and I needed to be stabilized while the doctors searched for what was causing me to be so sick. During my stay, there was one nurse, Emma, who went above and beyond to bring so much compassion, professionalism, and approachability to my care. I was scared, weak, frustrated, in pain, and exhausted.

Emma was the one person whose approach always helped me get through those things and stay optimistic, informed, and comfortable. Some of the many examples I could give are: one, based on the symptoms I was sharing with her, she remembered a special test she could use to inform the doctors whether a suspected issue I had was continuing. At the next check-in, the doctor said this was valuable information.

Two, she knew how worried I was about some of the potential diagnoses, and she kept a close eye on the status of my test results. As they came in, she made sure to meet with me right away, explain what they meant, and what to expect next. This clear and timely communication was immensely helpful in keeping me and my family less anxious. I always knew I’d get honest, direct information.

Three, I had lots of questions, and some that were uncomfortable to have to ask. She never made me feel at all embarrassed to share what was on my mind. The way she carried herself allowed me to feel like she was a long-time family member so I could speak honestly and without judgment. This also carried over into her patient care. The symptoms she had to help with were sometimes embarrassing, and every time she reminded me not to feel bad, she was there to help me. She would even go out of her way to make sure I knew of options available to me (like taking a shower…and then surprising me by fully cleaning and refreshing my hospital room while I was showering).

Four, she checked in frequently, always had suggestions for things I might be interested in or recommendations on things that could help me recover quicker, and made sure to be present every time each doctor stopped in (this helped on two occasions as I had questions on test results that the doctors were not familiar with and she was able to bring up my medical chart real time for them).

Fifth, she was pro-active. Around 5:40p at night, she noticed the doctor had just updated my orders, allowing me to move from a clear fluids meal plan to a recovery meal plan. She came right into my room with the updated menu and let me know I only had 20 minutes to place an order since food services stopped taking orders at 6p. This was so helpful because I had not eaten solid food in 2 days, and I would have needed to wait another 12 hours.

Fifth, she not only took care of me, but she focused on caring for my family, too. She spent time talking to my daughter, asking her about the get-well drawings she made for me, how school was going, etc. She offered my family snacks and answered their questions with honestly. Her empathy towards them, along with me, showed how much she’s invested in her patients and understands that being in the hospital takes a toll on everyone in the patient’s family. Emma is a very skilled, experienced, and knowledgeable nurse. You can tell her passion for excellence in the way she carries herself and approaches patient care. I always looked forward to her shift because she didn’t treat being a nurse as a job. She showed how devotion to being a nurse that goes above and beyond allows her patients to feel more comfortable and confident in the care they are receiving. I feel incredibly fortunate that Emma was on my team, and I can say without a doubt that my recovery was quicker because of her.