Anthony Mallory, RN

My husband had what we thought would be a laparoscopic appendectomy in OPSC. I suspected given his previous recent hospitalizations and symptoms, that it wasn't going to be a simple lap surgery. However, I was not prepared to get a call 30 minutes into surgery with the news he was being converted to open due to a finding of a colonic mass behind his perforated appendix. I knew the team in the room with him was amazing and could handle the emergent open conversion and whatnot, no problem. I moved over from the main OR in January of this year to my current role, so I am very familiar with a lot of the staff and process; I had faith it would be fine in the OR and it did thankfully.

The reason I am writing to you is to tell you about the male nurse who took care of B in PACU. That PACU nurse was hands down the most amazing angel of a nurse I have ever encountered in all my years of myself being a nurse. From the moment B got into the PACU area, Anthony brought me in to sit at his bedside with him. You see, my husband has never ever been inside a hospital or been sick before this whole appendix-turned-cancer journey. My husband was scared going into surgery that day, I think we both kind of knew there was going to be a different outcome, and I swear this nurse just knew.

Anthony literally checked on B and stayed with him almost the entire time he was in recovery. He kept checking on me, making me sit in a better chair while we waited for Medic V, offering me drinks, etc. He kept reminding me to take care of myself so I could take care of B. To not get caught up on the new diagnosis but to focus on B now and getting him well. He literally was saying a lot of the things that were running through my mind at 100mph! It was really surreal how attuned this nurse was not just to B's needs as a patient, but mine as his wife and now caretaker. He kept updating me on B's vitals, his pain meds, the time for Medic V to get us and bring us over to the main hospital, etc. I've just never seen a nurse be that engaged and empathetic not just to the patient, but their family.

This has been a really hard thing for us to deal with, and I swear the care that this nurse gave B in PACU that day just made a difference that we really needed at that time. I literally was so moved by how good he took care of us, I burst into tears trying to understand this unexpected news and explain to him how much I appreciated him! He didn't even say a word, just handed me a tissue and let me cry a bit knowing I needed that little minute. Then said to me, "Don't thank me for doing my job. It's my job to take care of my patients and even their people if I need to!" It just seemed so natural to him. Please let him know his care made a difference. If all nurses and caregivers gave that kind of care, our entire world would be so much better.