My father was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit at your facility. He came with an irregular heartbeat in addition to a recent Hodgkin's Lymphoma diagnosis. We met Gladys that evening following a very delicate junction in our family's life. Around 6:30 pm that evening my father was sedated and intubated. Those first twenty-four hours were a terrible ordeal for our family. The staff at the ICU is phenomenal, but Gladys displayed competence, love, and compassion above and beyond the call of duty. During the first night that she cared for my father, Gladys regularly monitored his vital signs as a mother would tend to an infirm child. Furthermore, she ensured that both Mother and I were taken care of. She understood the anguish that a family faces when seeing a loved one in a comatose state. She regularly ensured that we had coffee, warm blankets and a place to sleep. She answered all of our questions. I lost track of the number of times that I went to her station with the smallest inquiry. I realize that nurses at the ICU have the ability to monitor a patient remotely in between regular checks, yet she understood that sometimes monitoring him allowed the family to be at peace, even if my father didn't need to be checked. As the days have progressed, we have learned to understand that his vitals will vary from minute to minute, but it was Gladys' steady hand that comforted our souls to this reality.
Her ability to explain the rationales for your nursing and medical interventions while maintaining a personal connection with the family had a calming effect on the family. She not only washed his hair but also put it in a nice knot so that it wouldn't get dirty with blood from the next procedure. We were so appreciative and cannot sing enough of her praises. She is nothing short of amazing. She was compassionate and caring and will forevermore be a part of our family.