When I was transported to a room, Bernie met my family and myself. She quietly and calmly moved me into a room and began postsurgical treatment. Her calm, quiet and confident manner was immediately contagious and comforting. I was able to relax and enter into a "healing mode". She was my night nurse each night l was in the hospital.
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She anticipated my every need, without exception. Her efforts exceeded any reasonable expectation. Everything I needed as a patient, from medications to supplies for daily washing and observance of the surgical wound and change of dressing, was timely and professionally anticipated, planned, and resolved without the need to request assistance. She took the extra steps each morning, and especially on discharge day, to remind when to anticipate the doctors, to be sure I had an opportunity to "clean up" before their arrival, to remind me to think of the questions I had for the docs and even to coach me to inquire about basics that I should be asking the physician.
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Her bedside manner was, to use an overused but appropriate term, amazing. As my overnight nurse, there was always a soft touch on my shoulder or wrist to awaken me and a soft voice tone to let me know it was time to receive meds; always an effort to keep the lights low, and minimize noise and movements to maintain an environment conducive to going back to sleep.