If I were to be asked to define what the gold standard for nursing care is, I would unhesitatingly say that Mal Osuagwu is the definition of that standard. His enormous capacity for compassion, empathy, and his truly caring nature for both staff and patients alike are nothing short of inspiring.
Mal is an RN and charge nurse for this unit. He wears a multitude of hats and excels at every single one of them. I consider myself extremely fortunate to have been trained by him when I first moved to this hospital. Upon first meeting him his obvious sincerity, massive smile, and patience with me, a nervous new hire, made me immediately comfortable with him. It quickly became obvious that I was hardly the only one to feel this way towards Mal; I noticed after only a few shifts that he is our floor's greatest repository of communal knowledge. Staff in all different types of roles constantly seek him out for help, guidance, feedback and general questions.
Mal's leadership qualities are as exceptional as his people skills. He leads nightly huddles on our unit and is constantly implementing new ways to improve the efficiency of our unit, and thus improve the care we can provide our patients. He displays all the chief characteristics any great nurse must possess; he is calm, level-headed, never biased and, through his sterling personality, always able to quickly gain the well-deserved trust of staff and patients alike. The stories he has shared from his years of nursing are incredible; he has experienced (and, in some cases, endured) countless challenges, changes, and difficult patients, yet has always strived to provide an outstanding work environment through his poise and positive attitude.
I would trust Mal to take care of every one of my family members. I am grateful to be able to work alongside this outstanding nurse, to have him as a resource, and also to be able to call him a friend. He is very humble.