I was in the hospital for 6 days. If you have ever been in the hospital that long, you get to know the routine, nurses are busy with tasks, and taking care of other patients. I had some good nurses during my stay, but one who really stood out to me was Alicia. She quietly came in and introduced herself as an educator with her students. She asked me if it was OK for them to give me my medications (usually, the nurse will just come in and give me my medications without asking).

The smile on her face lit up my room. I was very impressed by her professionalism, along with her compassion and the care I received. The students who were with her asked many questions, and Alicia answered them with pure grace. I am a former RN, and it is so nice to see nurses being kind to students and wanting to teach them. I told her this, and she told me that’s why she loves what she does for a living, and the students are what keep her going. She said the future is bright with new nurses coming into the workforce. We talked about the past few years of healthcare and how it’s so sad that so many nurses left the profession.

Being a nurse is the most rewarding career, and it saddens me that so many people lost their passion during COVID. There were a couple of questions that I had that Alicia promptly got the answers to. Things as simple as asking if I am comfortable, if I want my door opened or closed, etc, make the world of a difference. Parkwest is my hospital. I always know I will receive the best care when I am there, but this time was different.