I was recently a patient in the surgical ICU at McLaren for several days. The care I received from all the nurses was excellent, but Skyler was exceptional. I met him the day after my surgery. His positive, confident, quiet nature was most reassuring. I developed a hematoma at my surgical site. Skyler closely monitored me and the hematoma throughout the day. He marked the growth of the hematoma at hourly intervals, making sure that the physicians could note its growth rate. He was vigilant, but at no time did he make me feel anxious or afraid.

At the end of his shift, he reassured me that a physician would come in to see me. I was transferred back to surgery a little after midnight. I remained on a liquid diet for two days after surgery. When I was allowed to have a soft diet, Skyler did not wait for the kitchen to send a tray. He went to the kitchen and brought me some scrambled eggs – those were the best eggs I have ever eaten! Skyler was also attentive to my family members (of which there are many) who rotated their visitations. He even managed to learn many of their names, another example of his personalized care. I believe Skyler is an excellent candidate for the DAISY Award for his excellence of care, concern for his patient’s wellbeing, and his innovative methods of delivering compassionate, skilled nursing care.