My admission took place last summer. I do know that it was almost a year ago, but I just recently learned about this, and I can't think of anyone who deserves it more. When I was admitted, I was 19 years old, and anxious and didn't even begin to describe how I was feeling. In the ER, I underwent a very traumatic, failed procedure. I was then admitted to the neuro floor and that is when I met Lorraine. From the minute I was wheeled up to the floor, she was smiling and so kind, but that is not what made her different from everyone else. Other than being sore from the procedure, I was in really good condition; I was happy and overall my normal self. Lorraine would come into my room and simply make me laugh, which I know isn’t a big deal, but to me it was. When she was talking to me, I didn't feel like a 19 year old who was admitted to the floor. I just felt like a normal person, she was still very professional, but she just talked to me like another person, not like I was a box waiting to be checked off her list. Within the next two days, I had more imaging and another procedure done. Unfortunately, my procedure did not go as planned; I ended up with a complication, which extended my hospital stay by about a week. 
    
I had Lorraine back as my nurse the following day, and I was a completely different person from the last time she had seen me. I was no longer sitting up, walking, eating, drinking, or laughing, and I was now in so much pain. Every time the team of residents and doctors came in, I got extremely anxious. Lorraine would come in and stand either by my side or within my view every time. She knew that her being in the room helped to reduce my anxiety. She learned the certain ways that I would shake my feet and fidget with my fingers when I was in the midst of panic. Not only that, but she knew by just looking at me; she would come over next to me when my room was filled with people who were making me nervous because that was one of the things she could control in the room, so she did. When my IV wasn’t working properly, she made sure she was the one to replace it. Her technique for placing the IV was amazing, I somehow was laughing during the placement, which is completely unheard of for me. By this point in the hospital admission, Lorraine had become the person I felt safest with while on the floor. I trusted her with everything and anything.

Friday was the worst day for me. I got the news that I was going to need another procedure, and because of my experiences with the first few, I was absolutely terrified. The moment someone talked about it, I would begin freaking out. One of the only people who could help calm me down was Lorraine. During one of my freak-outs about my procedure, Lorraine came into my room, looked at me, and just gave me a look. One of those looks tells you that she is here for you. She brought her computer into my room and sat with me. She researched what the procedure was so that she could explain it to me so I was less nervous, and then she just sat with me for a while. She didn’t need to say anything, but her being present in my room meant so much to me. She took the time out of her busy day to help make sure that not only my physical health was being cared for but also my emotional health. Lorraine has amazing nursing skills and was always willing to help me whenever I needed it. Her ability to connect with her patients is definitely one of a kind. It was very evident that she cares for her patients; she showed so much kindness and compassion each day that she was my nurse.  
       
I do not know what I would have done if I did not have Lorraine as my nurse. She helped me get through the hardest, most painful, and most difficult week and a half of my life, and I am forever thankful for that. I am currently in my junior year of nursing, and Lorraine has given me a perfect example of the type of nurse that I would like to become.