Anna Benton's clinical skills - especially her compassionate care - exemplify a nurse that patients, their families and staff recognize as outstanding role models. My dad was a patient for the longest month and a half of my life. All of the nurses were a blessing, but Anna stood out above the rest.
When my dad was admitted, he was afraid and unsure of what was going on. I live in Baton Rouge, LA, so he would ask me, "Did you call those nurses today? What are they saying?" I called every day, sometimes more than once. One day, I asked to speak to his nurse. They placed me on hold and then Anna answered and introduced herself as my dad's nurse.I apologized for how bothersome I was for always calling. She assured me it was fine and I was no bother. We talked about his day and what the doctor had said, and then, just as I was thanking her and about to get off the phone, she told me, "I will be here with him and I'll take good care of him." I know this is what a nurse is supposed to say - we learn it in school - but with her I felt it. Over the next few weeks, I called, she answered and we talked about Dad. I soon flew in to be with him and met the entire group of nurses, but I was looking for Anna. I went to the nurse's station and recognized her voice. I told her who I was, we hugged and I told her how nice it was to finally meet her.
Every day, Anna would pop her head in just to say 'hi' and ask him if he was all right even when she wasn't his nurse. Toward the end, Dad became very ill, was rushed to surgery and transferred to critical care. While there, my dad said, "I have to get well. Anna will be looking for me." This meant a lot because it showed me she had touched his life as much as she touched mine. We made it back a few days later and Anna was there.
About a week later, the doctor said it was time to move to hospice, so we made arrangements to transfer to Taylor House. Anna assured me the facility was ok and she wished us the best. For some strange reason the fact that she thought it was ok meant a lot. After all, over the weeks, she had taken such good care of my dad. She came in and talked to Dad one last time and gave him a hug. When the ambulance came, Dad looked at me and said, "Promise me you'll do that thing for Anna." I assured him I would.
With this nomination I can now say, "Yes, Pop, I did that thing for her." My family's time there was hard but blessed. I have to say Anna was the best! She made Dad feel safe and cared about. She touched his life at one of his lowest points and made him smile. On behalf of my family, I would like to say THANK YOU. I know as nurses we often do not get appreciated, but I want you to know we love you and appreciate you!