A handwritten letter came to me. In the letter, the patient explained that he has always been a nervous guy since he was a child. Three years ago, he lost his long-time private PCP due to Obama Care. Since then, he has been coming to this Parkland clinic. He repeatedly says praises to his nurse because he noticed she was always receptive to his needs. The patient further explained that he suffers white coat syndrome and each time without fail, his blood pressure was through the roof. However, each time he came to see his nurse, the nurse would respectfully state, "please sit down and relax sir. I will return in a short while to re-check your blood pressure." He fondly remembered in his most recent visit, his doctor ordered an EKG test to be done during the visit. He panicked and nervously asked, "What is wrong with me? I think I am fine. I feel fine!" And at that moment, he vividly remembered the gentle voice coming from this nurse and she said the following to him "Sir, you look fine to me also. However, when you are a patient at this clinic, we want to make sure you are fine by doing a test and performing necessary health screenings. We want you to live healthier and longer. Don't you agree?" The patient felt a little better but his anxiety about the possibility of what could go wrong about his health was overwhelming to him. With all of his fear and anxiety, the patient broke down and cried. Suddenly, he heard someone started to sing Amazing Grace. When he looked up, the nurse was singing! He then remembered he had once told his nurse that singing was one of the ways that he learned how to deal with his anxiety. He could not believe she was listening at the time and remembered. He calmed down and he let his nurse perform the EKG.
After reading his letter, I called the patient. Turns out, he had more wonderful things to say about this nurse. He told me he is conscientious about his health. He recently had lab work done and when he was reviewing his lab results on MyChat, he did not see his PSA level. Right then and there, he had panic. So he dropped everything he was doing and drove to the clinic. When he arrived at the clinic, he demanded to speak with his doctor. He was greeted by his nurse. He said, "What is my PSA level? I had labs done and I did not see it on MyChat." The nurse told him she would look into it and get back with him. He noticed the nurse was busy on that Friday because while he was talking to her, three different staff members came and told her the other patients she was rooming had requested to see her also. Later that evening around 5:30 pm, the patient told me he got a phone call and it was his nurse. She told him the level of his PSA. The patient felt that his nurse truly cares about his concern. He was astonished the nurse was able to follow up with him on the same day even though she was very busy. He appreciated her professionalism and the extra mile she went for him. The patient was relieved after he heard his PSA result such that he did not have to keep worrying over the weekend. The patient states, "I have the best nurse and doctor. They listen to me and I listen to them. We talk to each other and I like that."
I am proud of Shenequa's professional character and the principles she exemplifies to the patients we serve every day. I am convinced that the little kindness she sprinkles on her patients, has the biggest impact on the lives she touched.