I'm sure there are a lot of great nurses out there. I even have friends among some of those nurses, but I mean it when I tell you James Dzuricky was, hands down, the best nurse. I have had five surgeries in about a decade, but this most recent was the best encounter at a hospital. I had a spinal fusion/laminectomy/decompression surgery on July 30th. The surgery went well, and I was in room 437 at St. Margaret's Hospital for my recovery stay. The first night was awful. My PCA/Oxygen machine kept malfunctioning, stopping my Dilaudid access. It was so bad that the operating surgeon had to try and help get my pain under control. This brings me to my second night, where I met James. I was now not a fan and very hesitant of the nurse staff, who did not seem to care about the immense pain I was in. James came in as my night nurse, and I explained what happened. Instead of dismissing or blindly listening to my concerns, he took action. He told me our game plan to keep this pain at a minimum and was on top of everything. Not only that, he was friendly and sociable, and I didn't just feel like another patient but like someone he cared about. He had an infectious smile and laugh to the point I didn't mind being woken up to get my vitals and dressings changed. He restored my faith that there truly are caring and kind people who want to help you when you can't help yourself. I could go on and on, but this man truly deserves more than just the recognition I give him. He is outstanding, and this hospital is lucky to have him as part of its staff. I can't say this enough, but we need a million more nurses like James in this world!

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James was my overnight nurse night two post-op. I was up most of the night, comforted and impressed with his patience and kind heart. He answered all my questions and all my call lights with a smile- a genuine smile. He always made sure I understood what was what. You can tell when someone loves their job, and it was written all over his face and showed with everyone he encountered in my earshot. I was truly blessed to be taken care of by James, and I just hope he gets the recognition he deserves. I am a dialysis tech over at Presby, and this was a scan/surgery for me. I was a nervous wreck worrying about the post-op pain, and James really made me feel better about getting through the night.

This is James' second DAISY Award!