I have witnessed Carol Primola's compassionate nursing practice over the last 30 years of my nursing career. I have seen her put patients and families at ease as they and their loved ones face surgery in the Same Day Surgery setting. I have seen her care for the sick and dying on a medical surgical floor of a catholic hospital that served the poor on the North Side of Pittsburgh. You would never be able to tell if a patient Carol was caring for was a celebrity or one of the poor. She has the same compassion for all.

I have never witnessed Carol in the presence of a frightened patient and her hand not been on theirs. I once was on my way to lunch with Carol, and an escort was struggling to move a patient in a bed. After scolding the escort for not having adequate help, Carol showed the escort how to put the bed on steer and not only helped her navigate her way through the halls and out of the radiology department, but all the way back to the patient's room!

She will work tirelessly with other departments, families and physician offices to assure that the patient is cared for and all of their needs are met. Although Carol has been a nurse for over 30 years, she is still moved by patient circumstances and has a heart to care for the whole patient.

We currently work together at Mercy's chronic pain center. One of the patients that has been seeing us for years is a Sister. She had been independent, but due to a fractured hip has developed limited mobility. While out and about shopping Carol saw a bed jacket that was perfect for this patient, who could not afford much for herself because she had taken a vow of poverty, so of course Carol picked it up for her. But, contrary to what most would have done, Carol said the beautiful warm bed jacket was from everyone. To this day (that was about a year ago) that patient does not enter our unit without that bed jacket on. She feels special and loved and cared for. No, it's not about the money; it's not about a gift (this patient makes us crosses out of palm every Easter). It's about treating the patient as a whole, spiritually and emotionally. It is about caring.

There is the Watson theory on caring; there are "caring" websites and nursing societies on caring. Then there are nurses like Carol, who, you just need to work with for a while and you will see caring in action and realize what true caring really is. Caring is part of what nursing is all about, and Carol exemplifies it.