Cindy took the time to put me at ease before my angiogram. She has a warm personality and great sense of humor. I was fearful of the unknown, but she not only eased my fear, she had me laughing with her gifted personality.
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I just wanted to take a moment to thank your staff for their skill and kindness while my mother was under their care for a cardiac catheterization. Mom was fortunate to have Cindy care for her and she was a phenomenal nurse in both skill and teaching knowledge.
It isn't often as nurses and clinicians that we are able to know the "rest of the story", so I will share a bit of my Mom's to illustrate how exceptional her care was and how much of a difference it made for my Mom.
My Mom's story starts with an experience with her sister, early last summer. She and her sister were on a weekend get-away to North Dakota, and her sister wasn't feeling well that day and hadn't in the weeks prior to the trip. She had previously seen a Doctor, but had not been referred to anyone for her increasing fatigue/dyspnea, new onset HTN, as well as chest and jaw pain.
That day near Mandan they stopped at a rest area to stretch their legs after her sister reported being increasing ill. Midway to the rest area, she collapsed and though EMS was called she was unable to be revived. My Mom didn't know this as she chased behind the ambulance that took her sister to the local ER. The ER MD was less than gentle when he directed my Mom to the room were her sister lay, responding to my Mom's query about whether her sister was going to make it by saying, "No, she died in the ambulance" and walked away to leave my Mom alone with the shock of the event.
It is difficult to begin to say how much that day and those moments impacted my Mom. When Mom began to have fatigue, dyspnea and chest pain symptoms this spring it was very upsetting for her. Adding that heartfelt worry to a rather poor experience that she had while getting a previous stress test done, she was understandably worried about the course of her day when she came to your department for the cardiac catheterization.
Amazingly, your staff along with Cindy, lightened her spirits immediately upon entering the room. It was obvious that she loves being a nurse since that sentiment shined through her every action and conversation. She had no idea that Mom had previously had someone with a poor IV start technique try multiple times to start an IV on her previous stay. Mom's veins might not be the easiest to find, but Cindy being the champ she is found an IV spot, skillfully and got her tucked into warm blankets, so she would be ready for her procedure. Those things may seem small, but they were impactful to her as a patient trying to find her equilibrium in the midst of a stressful time. It was a source of peace for me as well to witness Cindy working as a well-oiled machine, processing all the tasks related to my mom's care. It can be hard as a nurse to hand the reigns of a family member's care to another nurse, but it was clear to me that Cindy was more than capable of taking care of her.
Cindy was so conscientious to my Mom and lifted our hearts up with her laughter. I can't begin to thank her enough for the care and concern she provided to my Mom. I couldn't have hand-picked a better nurse to provide for my family. She is a Super Star.