Andrea was my husband’s nurse immediately following his open heart surgery and the day after. It was such a scary time for me and she was so kind, so patient and so thorough and compassionate in her care. She explained everything that she was doing every step of every day and why. Andrea gave me encouragement and hope when he was doing well and she was calm and honest when explaining things that were concerning to me. As he struggled with delirium, which we later learned was another stroke, she was so patient with my husband and helped me feel better by explaining that delirium isn’t uncommon after a major surgery.

Throughout his ICU stay, she came to visit him and was a constant source of comfort and knowledge for me. She shared information about his VAD care and his feeding plan with me when she wasn’t even his nurse. She would sit with him to help him calm down when he was experiencing “ICU psychosis.”

Each day I come to the ICU and see Andrea working, I feel a sense of calm knowing she’s here. All nurses are incredibly special people..angels walking among us really. Every nurse on the ICU team has been amazing and I will be forever grateful for their above and beyond care for my husband, especially on his very trying days, but I will always hold a special place in my heart for Andrea. Her kind eyes and compassionate heart have been such a comfort for me on what have been the absolute darkest days of my life. Please consider this exceptional nurse for a DAISY Award.