We had traveled to the UK for a month, and on the last day of our trip, I picked up a horrible cold that upset my asthma. Because I was having issues breathing during our 10-hour flight, when we landed at Sacramento International Airport at midnight, my husband immediately drove me to our local ER, Kaiser Roseville.

After X-rays and bloodwork, I ended up in a hallway with other elderly patients for a round of IV and antibiotics. I was coughing nonstop and was miserable. Cari came on shift and sweetly tended to me and the others in the hall. Suddenly, two extremely rude and loud women came in, with one of them demanding she get her shot immediately. Cari was helping me at the moment. They both freaked out at my coughing, using the F-word very loudly. The friend then started recording with her phone, and I'm certain she recorded me and my coughing, saying they were going to sue Kaiser if they got my cold.

Cari told her to stop, and she denied she was recording. These two women were also upsetting the elderly patients with their overly loud voices, boisterous swearing, and threats to sue. Cari gave them masks and calmly, yet firmly, asked that they stop, which they did. Of course, they started up again when she left to get the shot for one of them. When Cari returned, she administered the shot, and they left as loudly and rudely as they had arrived, saying they were going to file a complaint because Kaiser had placed them on a bed in the hallway next to a sick person (me) and also because the nurse was not nice to them.

Afterward, Cari went to each elderly patient in the hallway and assured them everything was all right, holding the hand of one gentleman to calm him. Her caring gesture made me tear up. Cari handled the situation with grace, dignity, and professionalism. She went above and beyond.