I am one of the cancer care coordinator's and one of our patients recanted a very personal and touching story of her ED nurse from the year prior that compelled me to track down the nurse involved to make sure she knew what a difference she made in this young woman's life at an extremely vulnerable time.

This young woman came to the ED with a life-threatening diagnosis of acute leukemia. Needless to say, lots of action occurred when she arrived in the ED but she remembered her nurse wrote on the board in her room the phrase "Mind over Matter." This phrase became her touchstone, keeping her centered and focused as she went through the year of intensive treatment (induction chemotherapy, bone marrow biopsies and lumbar punctures). She told me she had it posted on her wall at home as well. At her one year anniversary of diagnosis (this year) she decided to have this phrase tattooed on her inner wrist because as she said "this phrase has resonated to me throughout the year."

This is the epitome of connecting with our patients and is an example of how what we may perceive as a small moment in time while we are working, can make a huge difference in the lives of the people we care for. Thank you so much Kristin, for being present for this young woman when she so desperately needed your skilled nursing care! By the way, she said the tattoo hurt worse than all the procedures she'd had!