I have been in the hospital for 2 ½ weeks. Within this time, I have had extreme stress from medical negligence, my wife having to work, take care of me, and our home. Due to the accidental collapse of my lung, I have been extremely fearful of another mess up causing me pain or a lengthened stay. It made me wary and untrusting of anyone handling my chest tube. This RN restored that broken trust. He treated me and spoke to me in such a personal way that it felt like a family member was caring for me. This nurse went above and beyond for my care and to advocate for me. He did things like cut lidocaine patches into odd shapes to allow me to get relief in places where there was no room for them due to other dressings.

After undergoing mechanical pleurodesis surgery, every little bit of relief was appreciated. This RN had an amazing bedside manner and spoke to me on a personal level to help me cope and understand everything that was going on with me. He did the same for my wife and family any time we had questions or concerns. My mother flew across the country to be here with me for my surgery. Flying is a big fear of hers. It was absolutely devastating to me that my mom would spend her Mother's Day in a hospital. I expressed this to the nurse, and what he did brought tears to my eyes. He came back and told me he got an order to leave the unit, so he walked me down to the gift shop so I could purchase something and express my gratitude to my mother. This was amazing to me. This also allowed my mom and me to spend some time in the garden outside. I had been in a hospital room for over 2 weeks with no fresh air. It was amazing! This nurse deserves recognition for the change he truly made in my life and hospital stay for me and my family. Thank you so much! I will never forget the impact you had on me. You have restored my trust in the healthcare system.