I want to take a second to tell you about a nurse I think hung the moon and deserves more recognition than I could ever give.
Lya Grisham is one of the best all-around nurses that I have ever met. I am filled with envy and aspire to be more like her. She is an amazing clinician, but her compassion and empathy are exceptional. Lya takes the time to know and remember every single one of her patients by their first name. If you ever want your heart to feel warm and fuzzy, just listen to the way she speaks to her patients - even when no one is around. She is very reassuring to patients and their families and always takes time to stop and explain what is happening, which is something many of us forget to do.
Although I know Lya is like this with every patient, I experienced it firsthand recently when a very sick patient came in with multiple problems. The first thing Lya did was learn the patient's name and spoke to her in the calmest voice and held her hand to help calm the patient down. When the patient became very unstable, Lya worked quick to stabilize her, then made it a priority to update the family. She explained what the patient was going through, how she would look and what to expect in the ICU.
Lya made sure the family was comfortable and taken care of, even taking the time to get them all beverages. The look on the faces of that family after speaking with Lya changed from fear and worry to relief and hope. Lya was a Superhero to that patient and family, just as she is every day in the ED. Her ability to love and show compassion to every patient is what makes her extraordinary.
I am blessed to work alongside Lya, I wish we had a thousand nurses like her.