Candace is always thinking about the needs of our patients. She has a special place in her heart for the neediest of our Emergency Department patients. Recently I worked a weekend with Candace and was blown away by her compassion for 2 patients we saw that weekend. Candace was not fazed by their life circumstances, she just cared for them in the most compassionate way possible. Though there are many more similar stories about Candace the following are the two stories from that weekend.
The first patient was a young adult female who came to us via EMS from a homeless camp in the community. The patient was covered head to toe in soot from the campfire. She was in extreme pain and was found to have a bad kidney infection. While this patient was in the ED Candace took care of her medical needs by ensuring her pain was controlled as well as making sure she got a dose of antibiotics while in the ED. Candace also made sure the patient's home antibiotics were filled through the mission fund prior to discharge. Candace also took care of the patient's personal needs by giving the patient the opportunity to shower while in the ED as well as finding the patient clean, dry and warm clothes to leave with. The patient left looking and feeling significantly better than she did when she arrived to the ED.
The second patient was an adult male who was found intoxicated outside overnight during a rainy and snowy weekend. The patient was to sober up in the Emergency Department and then be discharged. Candace took over care for this patient at 7 am and she made it her mission to make sure all his needs were met before he left the ED. Candace made sure he had a hot breakfast and lunch while with us. Candace took it upon herself to find clothing and shoes for the patient to go home with since all of his were soaking wet. Candace worked with security to find clothing and shoes that would fit this patient. She got him cleaned up and was able to work with McDermott staff to dry the clothing he came to the ED in.
Candace is an exceptional nurse who lives the mission with her patients. One patient, in particular, asked that she be recognized with an award. On Christmas Eve, I received a phone call from a patient who praised Candace's work the previous night. She said she had come into the ED after being dropped off at a local truck stop. She was in an abusive relationship and was left with nothing by her fiancé. She knew no one in the area and was distraught. When she arrived in the ED, Candace treated her with kindness and compassion. Candace sat and listened to her concerns, validated her feelings and brought her a sense of calm. She said Candace made her feel like she was a valuable individual, a feeling she had lost in her abusive situation. Candace went out of her way to ensure the patient had a safe place to stay and helped problem solve to get her back home to Tennessee. Because the patient was a former ED nurse, she thought that the time Candace spent with her was really exceptional, especially on a busy Sunday night.
All of these stories show the true compassion Candace has for our patients. Candace has time and again given care to our patients that treats them with dignity and respect. Candace does not care what their life circumstances are or where they come from. Candace just wants to show them care and compassion while she is their nurse. We are incredibly fortunate to have Candace working in the Emergency Department giving such incredible care to all our patients.