Annie Mathews, RN II

My 67-year-old mother was diagnosed with breast cancer last month. We never expected this diagnosis, it came as quite a shock to us. We were so scared and didn't know what to expect. Everything was new and frightening to us. She was scheduled for outpatient surgery to treat the breast cancer. Annie was her recovery nurse. I got the call from Annie that my mom was out of surgery and in the recovery unit. I rushed over, anxious to see my mom and make sure that she was okay. I walked into the recovery unit, and what I saw surprised me. I saw a nurse sitting in a chair beside my mom's bed. She had her hand on my mom's shoulder, gently rubbing her shoulder and speaking encouraging words to her. As I walked up to them, I noticed Annie, the nurse, was comforting my mom, and she was supporting her until I got there. She cared for my mom even though they had just met. I felt safe and relieved knowing that someone like Annie was with my mom when she woke up from surgery. My mom felt at ease with this stranger she had just met. Annie treated my mom with kindness and compassion when no one else was present, she is not just a nurse but a guardian angel.