December 2023
Anya
Bodenhofer
,
RN
Inpatient Psych
The University of Vermont Medical Center
Burlington
,
VT
United States
It wasn't even the advice she gave me that was amazing, and it was the fact that someone was genuine and showed they cared about me. I felt so heard.
Anya has gone above and beyond by actually connecting with her patient. She was not only someone who would actually listen to me, but she became more of a friend, which is wonderful. I had the pleasure of having Anya as my nurse four different times, which is a lot considering the fact that I never see most of my nurses even twice. Even if I did see other nurses twice, Anya was the only nurse that stood out to me. I remember that when I first met her, she woke me up to give me my meds. But, unlike other nurses who woke me up not as softly, Anya would whisper my name until I woke up which was quite thoughtful. This caught my attention from the start. The second time I had her, she made me feel so comfortable in my skin, and I was able to open up to her about what I've been going through. It wasn't even the advice she gave me that was amazing, and it was the fact that someone was genuine and showed they cared about me. I felt so heard. From then on, she continued to listen to me each time I had her. She would stick around for long periods of time, taking time out of her day to be there for me. It turned into not just telling her my problems, but talking about other aspects of my life like I would with a friend. The comfort that brought me was tremendous and allowed me to step outside my comfort zone and engage with other patients in groups and activities when I had been scared to, as this was my first time at a hospital. I was finally able to laugh with her and eventually meet other patients who brought me joy as well. Thank you, Anya, for making this experience so much better.