I received this nomination from a patient, last week that simply stated: "John is a nice man who treats me with respect and dignity".
While a simple statement, when one considers the context from whence it came, it becomes evident that John has made an indelible impact on this patient's life…not to mention countless others who have sought refuge under his wing throughout his nursing career over the past thirty years.
The patient who submitted this nomination has been struggling for weeks with an exacerbation of symptoms related to major depression. The fact that she took the time to write this prompted me to round on her and ask her if she could give me any specifics of how John treated her. She said, "He makes everyone feel like they are respected and important. But he said to me, 'You were born on June 19th, 1972. That was a wonderful day for the universe.' He made me feel special when I wasn't feeling very special."
John has dedicated decades of his life to serving those with behavioral health needs. He has a calming and accepting presence in our department and patients often ask for him specifically.
John has been nominated several times for this award, as he often makes a significant difference in the lives of patients. In addition, students, new grads, and new staff are often sharing how wonderfully and patiently John taught them. John is the first to lend a calming hand in a crisis, offer to lead a group or class when someone is overextended, and he never hesitates to let people hear that he cares about them. My hope is that John gets to hear how extraordinary he is as a nurse and as a human being.