It is with great pleasure that I write this complimentary letter of merit on behalf of one of your standing nurses, Hope Curry, RN. As someone who worked for many years within the healthcare field and as someone who has also lived with chronic, potentially life-threatening illness for most of my life (and now most recently has battled cancer), I have been on both sides of the fence, so to speak - both as a patient as a professional caretaker of patients. So, I know firsthand what it is that patients really want and need. Of course, medical competence is obviously one of those crucial things. But a warm, compassionate bedside manner is equally high on that list too. In fact, it is imperative I believe. A good bedside manner makes all the difference between whether a patient will have faith and trust in their healthcare provider or not, for without a degree of warmth, compassion, empathy, and good listening skills from the providing medical staff, the patient will never feel fully invested in nor feel like they are truly cared about by that particular medical personnel. As I am sure you already know, without that type of desired care, it is quite easy for a patient to eventually feel like they are nothing more than "a number" in an uncaring system, so the impact of the healthcare worker's bedside manner on the patient should never be underestimated. Quite the contrary, a "good bedside manner" is something highly prized and valued by every patient, regardless of whether they are battling a life-threatening illness or injury or whether they are simply going to the doctor for an annual check-up.

With that being said, I am pleased to report that nurse Hope Curry is one of those exceptional nurses who consistently provides her patients with warmth, compassion, competence, and attentiveness that patients deserve. In my observation, Hope always displays a genuine happy, upbeat, and positive attitude around her patients - which is something any patient going through cancer and cancer treatment needs. She is truly a joy to be around. Hope is very tuned into her patients and takes the time to listen to their concerns and to answer their questions. I also greatly respect the fact that if Hope does not have the answer to something or has a question herself, she does not hesitate to seek assistance from her colleagues or seek out the proper answer, showing a continual willingness to learn and to grow professionally on her part, and never allowing pride to get in her way. To me, that is an admirable trait and it makes me trust in her very competent care all the more.

I first encountered Hope when I was a newly diagnosed cancer patient who was rather sick and a bit overwhelmed by the whirlwind of information, procedures, and new treatments I was being subjected to in a very short period of time. But Hope's warm, caring personality and her patience for answering my questions quickly put me at ease immediately, and she actually helped to make the early days of my chemotherapy infusions both easy and actually enjoyable. In fact, in comparison to other medical appointments and procedures I've had, I actually looked forward to the early days of my chemotherapy infusions, as I always knew that I would be greeted with a warm smile and a cheery "hello" when I arrived each week, which helped me to further maintain my own positive attitude through treatment. I am very grateful to have started off my cancer treatment journey (which was rather aggressive chemo in my case) an easy one, and I will always be very appreciative of that. Hope approaches all of her patients with the kind of compassion and professional dedication that one can only pray they will experience within the medical setting. In a nutshell, Hope is truly a breath of fresh air and she is without a doubt a true asset to your nursing team servicing cancer patients (or any other type of patient for that manner).