I moved to Minnesota, and Courtney Wilkins, RN, came into my life. Courtney is superb at her job. Here is just one of many examples. I sent Courtney my usual reminder that my current 28-day supply of medication would be exhausted on a Sunday, so that I would need to pick it up as early as possible the next day. I mentioned in passing that when one considered that, in order for me to take the medication first thing upon rising as prescribed, I really should have it already on hand. In closing, I remarked that struggling with rush hour traffic while unmedicated would subject me to some extent of hardship as it was, and thanked Courtney for anything she could do on my behalf. Well, that's all Courtney needed to hear! Before I knew it, she replied to me: “Would you prefer we mail the medication to your house so that you do not have to pick it up Monday morning or maybe pick up your prescription on Sunday? Let me know!” I was amazed that she had found a way to offer this and eagerly accepted. And she was as good as her word, so that yesterday, for the first time since I began receiving care at the Minneapolis VA hospital, I was able to take this med in the way that works best, first thing upon rising. Acting on her own initiative and motivated by nothing but her own superb internal standards, Courtney was able to provide her patient with excellent care.

In the most recent example, Courtney's attention to detail let her notice that the medication I had requested by mail would not reach me in time, and on her own initiative changed the order to allow me to get it earlier. Nothing is too small or too large for her dedication: from changing my mailing address to making sure I am smoothly conveyed to surgical care, Courtney is always monitoring progress, solving developing problems before they grow large enough to interfere with my treatment – and all this with the never-absent warm smile, the pleasant inquiry how things are going, the warm focus that makes you sure that what she cares about is YOU. This woman is the embodiment of what every nurse should be, and every nurse – no matter how senior, no matter how specialized – would benefit from a day spent shadowing Courtney.