Stan was my daytime RN for about half of my weeklong stay following surgery for a perforated stomach. Being a nurse is more than knowing the details of each treatment a doctor orders and implementing them accurately.  I think caring is the most important attribute, and in caring, Stan excels.

•    He patiently listened to my concerns and fears. He explained in everyday language what each treatment was for, how it worked, and what to expect.
•    He set me at ease with gentle humor in a natural, comfortable, and pitch-perfect way when I asked about pain, why this happened to me, and whether my life would likely have to change.
•    He supported me mentally and emotionally when I was scared. And I was very scared.
•    By necessity, doctors move pretty fast from patient to patient, but nurses, while still stretched across plenty of individual patients, can bridge gaps and efficiently summarize patient questions to help get that knowledge for us. Stan did this for me too.

Stan also adapted on the fly to change the dressing on a hand-wound from an earlier and unrelated injury on the same arm as my PICC line. He neither overtly nor silently belittled me for not pointing this out before the PICC was in or before my wound started to weep. He reassured me when I was afraid to look at my wound that everything was normal and would heal, gently dressed the wound, and got me a compression glove to prevent conflict between the two issues. He checked back with me over time and joked about my fashion statement handwear.

Time and time again, I turned to Stan for support. Stan's authentic, unpretentious humanity and his caring were pitch-perfect. He is a credit to UW Health's already startlingly good staff. When I was discharged, I was absolutely glad to go home, but I'll miss Stan. I think that's unprecedented. I think everyone needs a Stan. Keep hold of him!