Angie Wech

A patient recovering from heart surgery has work to do.  And it’s a nurse’s job to see that the work gets done, monitoring respiratory status, movement, strength, pain control.

A patient who had aortic valve replacement surgery this spring wrote that he had been “treated very well by all the hospital staff without exception.” But one person went the extra mile. He nominated Angie Wech of Medical Telemetry/Intermediate Care for the DAISY Award for Exceptional Nurses, which she earned at a surprise ceremony in July.

“She not only provided the care that I needed but seemed to sense when I was down and feeling sorry for myself,” the patient wrote in his DAISY nomination. “She would always have the right words of encouragement for me and many times a little joke to lighten the mood. During my stay, she answered all my questions about my recovery and pain, also letting me know what to expect as time went on — chest tube removal, etc. She also seemed to have a real handle on what was going on around her, answering many questions from other staff members.”

Angie recognizes that healing is not a one-person job. She is thankful for the support she gets from co-workers on her floor and from patients — like this one. “I appreciate the work he put into his recovery,” she said. “We got him healthy and got him home.”