It is with great pleasure that I write this DAISY Nomination for a stellar nurse in Surgical Services, Claudia Gonzalez. Claudia has been a nurse for many years and currently works as a preceptor in the PreOp area. Recently, Claudia cared for a non-verbal, special needs patient who came in for an urgent operation. The patient had high anxiety and was not responding to their caregivers. The patient required an IV and blood work prior to surgery. Claudia thought outside the box and began to sing to the patient.

Within a few minutes of her singing to the patient, the patient calmed down, and while she continued to sing, Claudia was able to complete the procedures required for pre-op care. Additionally, Claudia approached the Surgical Services Charge Nurse and requested that she be floated to Recovery when the patient came out of the procedure. She anticipated that the patient may feel anxious while waking from anesthesia, and as such, she wanted to be able to “sing him awake.” Claudia is well qualified for recovery but doesn’t work recovery often. However, with some staff shuffling, the charge nurse accommodated the request, and Claudia was able to keep the patient calm while waking up with her beautiful voice. This is the essence of what it means to be a nurse.