Anita cared for my dad (and our whole family...and we were a lot) while in the ICU. She was compassionate for my dad beyond the medical aspects of care, which were also done to the highest degree of professionalism and skill. Anita washed his hair, brushed his teeth, shaved his face, cleaned his skin, put lotion on his skin (Spa Ala Kaiser). He was very appreciative of these human touches which were small steps to making him feel "normal" in an environment that is very scary and can feel hostile and foreign.
Anita also earned our family's utmost respect for her communication skills and the way she was able to help advocate for my dad and for us when we needed it most. She was concerned with his mental health and met with our family to help us navigate telling my dad that his leg was amputated. It ultimately went much better than we all anticipated, but we felt prepared and had a plan thanks to Anita's support.
In addition, she demonstrated exceptional communication skills and the ability to be a liaison between the patient, family, and doctors. We were frustrated, and she helped coordinate a meeting very quickly between our family and the doctors. After her help getting everyone to sit down together in the same room at the same time, we felt heard, we had a plan, and we immediately saw some positive outcomes. This was likely not part of her job description and so we feel like she really went above and beyond. Thank you!
Anita represents the best of the hard skills and soft skills necessary to be a highly effective nurse!