I've had David Schmid as a nurse for a majority of the PM shifts this past week. I've had a lot of great nurses on 4NE, but he's different than most. Everything about the way he presents himself is very professional and knowledgeable. When I have visitors, he is sure to introduce himself and lets them know how long he'll be taking care of me. My mom even commented on how great he was after seeing him for just a few minutes.
David has been going beyond what most nurses do to get to know a patient. The question he asks shows he truly cares about his patients on a level that is more than just the basic background information about a person. He shares his interests and makes you feel like he's a real person too, not just a care provider.
One thing that truly stood out this week was that we had been talking about what I do in my spare time. I mentioned I don't have a job because of being on disability and sometimes when I spend 2 weeks in the hospital, this is the most human interaction I get because at least I see my nurses when they round every hour. We carried on with the conversation and then David left. About half an hour later, he came back into my room and told me that it was really ringing in his head what I had said. He offered to come in and talk with me because I said I don't get to talk to people much. He proved that he listened when I talked and cared about what I had to say. It's one thing to listen to a patient when they are talking about medical things. That's their job. It doesn't say in a job description that they have to really get to know patients and offer them emotional support or comfort or being a listening ear when it comes to personal home life things.
David has just all around made this hospitalization tolerable. He's had good movie suggestions, made book recommendations, talked to me about school, good foods, and coffee. As I said before, most of the nurses on 4NE are awesome and I've never had a nurse I was disappointed in. However, once I met David and got to know him, I knew I had to take a walk around the hospital and find those DAISY Award nomination forms that I'd seen before but never picked up. I knew I had to write and nominate David immediately. I don't know how often someone is chosen or what the criteria are, but I really think he is deserving of recognition. Nurses like him are few and far between. I honestly cannot put into words all the reasons I feel he deserves this nomination, but I tried my best. I hope he continues his career in nursing or healthcare because patients everywhere will benefit from the example he sets.