Brittany Hanson
March 2023
Brittany
Hanson
,
BSN, RN
Ortho/Neuro
Sanford USD Medical Center
Sioux Falls
,
SD
United States

 

 

 

She is informative, understanding, and instructional, and turned my “self-perceived” failures into successes through her positive words
I love my dear husband deeply, Staunch German Hunk (SGH) that he is, but he is predisposed to not mince words and gives very few compliments. From a perspective of 35+ years of marriage, he has told others twice that he married a good cook…. Both incidents were while he was coming out of sedation from two different surgeries.

I knew in an instant we had a good nurse with Brittany, the moment he voluntarily (and after sedation had worn off) shared with me, “That one’s a GEM!” I even asked him again one week later (after the block-meds were certain to have dissipated) to tell me what he loved about Brittany and the words just flowed in the following descriptions.

“She is informative, understanding, and instructional, and turned my “self-perceived” failures into successes through her positive words, such as “Don’t worry about it, it happens to all of us!” She was so upbeat, such a great listener and not only great at the science of nursing but at the art of the profession through her awesome interpersonal skills, when she comes to the door, it makes you smile.”

By the end of her long shift, Brittany and my husband had established a language of acronyms between themselves which Brittany played into so well and with ease. It made my husband feel comfortable as if she were with his own daughter. In a world where expectations are for one to simply fulfill their job duties, it was so sweet and refreshing to have Brittany make our hospital experience a positive and nice memory through her outstanding performance. She is extra special where we are concerned.

While fulfilling her job duties effortlessly, she additionally fulfills such a noble calling through her extraordinary interpersonal skills by putting us at ease, saving face, cheerleading, SMILING, and coming back the next day to wish us well when my husband was not even assigned to her. She provided humor, empathy, and conscientious follow-through (all the while being assigned to more than the usual number of patients). It all came so naturally to her. I think my husband is an awesome patient, but I truly believe Brittany’s wonderful demeanor helped to assuage higher-than-normal pain levels and made him want to try even harder at being a good patient. She has a way of bringing out the best in patients and co-workers. Her shift change hand-off was so much more than a “hand-off”. She did it with ease, professionalism, enthusiasm, and encouragement for both the patient AND the incoming nurse. I literally saw her successor’s confidence level grow exponentially with each moment in Brittany’s kind presence.