I wanted to let you know about the exceptional care that I received from one of the nurses last week while I was in St. Luke's Hospital. Beginning at 7AM my nurse was Mariya. Mariya is a tremendous nurse and it's people like her that make St. Luke's an outstanding hospital. She is extremely knowledgeable--she explained the meds I was getting clearly, completely, and concisely. An ability to explain things clearly shows her knowledge of medicine, and nursing care is outstanding. Even the doctor commented on the thoroughness and accuracy of her work as she recorded/provided all the information he needed throughout the entire day. I would also like to comment on her skill as a nurse. I had an IV that was inserted on Thursday in my left wrist and it was painful. The nurse that originally placed the IV had difficulty with my veins; I've been told frequently that my veins are difficult. Mariya could tell that I was uncomfortable and she immediately took action to "redo" my entire IV in order to relieve that discomfort. She was extremely quick and effective at changing the IV location on my arm--given how much everyone complains about my veins. I was shocked at how fast and painless she made it.

Mariya demonstrated her genuine caring attitude all day last Friday, and I guess what is truly remarkable is her ability to be so caring while she is performing the most humbling work there is--cleaning up waste after sick patients. This is a testament to how much she genuinely cares about the people she is helping. Mariya's work ethic is "the gold standard." She was the "Charlie Hustle" of the staff on the floor that day. She goes well above and beyond the call of duty--exceeding expectations. I think it would be proper to acknowledge Mariya in some meaningful way--sometimes providing excellent care is not glamorous (e.g. when you're cleaning up messes after sick patients), but the day she was taking care of me she was making a difference where it counts, on the front line. I feel most strongly that she deserves to be honored for her talent, her incredible hard work, and for her tremendous attitude! Thank you.