January 2024
Jason
Garcia
,
RN
Telemetry
Frye Regional Medical Center
Hickory
,
NC
United States

 

 

 

We both recognized his superior skills and fantastic attitude immediately and appreciated the relaxed, secure atmosphere he created.
Jason Garcia was nominated twice by patients and their family members.
High praise from another nurse means a lot to most of us. The first nomination came from a couple of retired nurses. They made a point to say they had worked in nursing administration and as advanced practice nurses. (tough crowd!) “We both recognized his superior skills and fantastic attitude immediately and appreciated the relaxed, secure atmosphere he created.” They were impressed with the way he was quick to respond to help her out of bed and take her to the chair or toilet, even though he was busy with many complicated tasks requiring a nurse. He found a way to connect with the patient, recognizing her unique sense of humor and making her feel relaxed and cared for. She said, “he had a fantastic laugh and immediately put her at ease.”

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The second nomination came from a family of a patient who was admitted for chest pain and ended up needing open heart surgery. “She was so scared. He was always there. He never left her side. He would talk to her in ways that she could understand what was happening to her. He sat by her bedside and calmed her nerves. He cared for her in a way that her family could not. She is the head of the family. She takes care of her husband and is the glue that holds the family together. So, in the face of her family, she would never tell us that she was scared or nervous about the surgery, but to him, she would.” After surgery, the patient experienced complications, and the family was scared she wouldn’t pull through. He visited the family in the ICU waiting room. “He pulled up a chair and told me that my mom was proud of me. He said that she was proud of all her boys. He also said that she was at peace. Did I want to hear that...not really...but I needed to because I needed to know that no matter what happened to her, she was at peace with it. I cried big ugly tears, but from the bottom of my heart, I am thankful for every word he spoke to me that day.” After she was extubated, she asked for him by name. He came to see her every day.