Anthony took care of my sister, S, for three days during her stay in the ICU. S has been medically complex for over 30 years and, in that time, has been in the hospital dozens of times and received care from hundreds of nurses. Without a doubt, Anthony is one of the very best nurses to care for her as the patient and care for us as her family. 

Anthony’s technical skills are clearly exceptional. He was knowledgeable about what was happening with S, her vitals, and her status. At any moment, he was able to give us information about S’s condition without hesitation, which gave us a sense of comfort that he was so on top of it. He delivered care confidently and efficiently, but he was also gentle and compassionate. S is non-verbal, so often times, clinical staff think that means they don’t need to talk to her. Anthony took the time to explain to S what was going to happen and when. He spoke to her in a gentle, caring tone. You could see her relax as he spoke. He did the same for us as her family. He let us know what he was going to do and why. He answered every question we had to the fullest extent possible, asked what else we wanted to know, and asked us if he could do anything to make us more comfortable. It was through these actions that he displayed exceptional empathy for what our family was experiencing. As if he knew what we needed before we did, he expertly guided us by providing timely information and thoughtful, gentle care. 

One of the days that Anthony was caring for S, he was also teaching a college nursing student. It was clear from how he was interacting with the student that his compassion and empathy extends beyond patients to include students. He was so thoughtful in his approach - he described In incredible detail what he was doing and why. He was happy to answer questions and repeat information. But beyond the technical skills, he was teaching this young student what compassion and empathy look like as a nurse. He explained why delivering meds through an IV with a particular method may take a few minutes longer, but is more comfortable for the patient. He talked about how to organize the room and his time in the room so as to disturb the patient as little as possible while they are sleeping. He encouraged the student to try suctioning S’s mouth and gave her gentle but informative coaching as she did it for the first time. He not only gave guidance about how to do the actual suction but also how to talk to S about what was happening. It is clear that ICU nurses are very busy. Many nurses may feel annoyed or burdened by having a student with them. Anthony was thrilled to have a student and taught her without compromising the care his patients received. I cannot think of a more selfless act than to take the time to model to the next generation of nurses how to be compassionate and empathetic. 

I could go on, but I will end by saying that if I could choose just one nurse to care for S for the rest of her life, it would undoubtedly be Anthony. Thank you, Anthony, for all that you did for S and that you do for all of your patients! They are so lucky to be in your care!