For her unparalleled patient care, when I entered Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital for a recent heart catheterization, I am delighted to write this as a means of expressing my appreciation for Cordie Chimenti, RN. Without exception, she is the finest nurse I have ever encountered for so many reasons that it is difficult to list them all.

Having had an abnormal nuclear stress test and a calcium score of 1800, where a score above 400 indicates extensive plaque in the arteries and a high risk of severe heart disease, I entered the hospital with considerable reserve. However, Nurse Cordie Chimenti immediately began elevating my outlook. She greeted me with a radiant smile and exhibited a palpable sense of calm, which was infectious both to me and to her fellow staff members.

From the moment we met her, she focused all her attention on my comfort and preparedness for the procedure. She would have made a superb educator because, whether she was monitoring my blood pressure, inserting an IV, or taking notes, Cordie was continually teaching me about the procedure. Her instruction was at once fascinating and calming.

For example, she taught me that having a full bladder can lead to increased blood pressure, that calcium can accumulate both on the interior and the exterior of the arteries, and so on. Who knew? I just wanted to sit and listen because somehow, the more I understood, the calmer I felt. And now I sense that patient education may be a component of advanced nursing care.

It was obvious that other staff members esteemed Nurse Chimenti highly because of her 27 years of knowledge and experience, but also because of her kind, instructive, and collegial manner. They seemed to listen to her carefully, too.

She maintained charge of me right up to transferring me for my procedure. After I returned from the catheterization, she asked everything she needed to know to comprehend my condition and needs. She ushered in my wife, then furthered our understanding by answering our questions and helped us celebrate the outcome of the catheterization, which was more favorable than anticipated.

She offered me breakfast and mirthfully asked whether I am particular about my coffee, whereupon she brought me a cup from the staff’s own Keurig coffee maker. Of course, this treatment made me feel very special.

Having studied the criteria for the DAISY Award, I believe Cordie Chimenti, RN, is eminently qualified for this honor. She exhibits a warm, friendly, confident, and calming attitude. She effectively utilizes patient instruction to prepare her patients and their family members for the hospital’s procedures.

The care I received from Nurse Chimenti made me feel like the Cleveland Clinic’s most important patient. No doubt, the hospital values her service because if all staff members performed as expertly and with such enhanced quality as she does, no patient would wish to use any other hospital or clinic for their healthcare needs.

I know I wish I could see this fine healthcare professional for all my medical needs.

This is Cordie's 3rd DAISY Award!