Deb Walters
July 2017
Deb
Walters
,
RN
Post Partum Unit
Medical City McKinney
McKinney
,
TX
United States
Deb's clinical skill and especially her compassionate care exemplify the kind of nurse that our patients, their families, and our staff recognize as an outstanding role model.
Recently, we had a patient come to our floor who was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. This patient had some cognitive delays and had no social support. Deb was her admission nurse and from that point on became her support. By the time the patient had been here 2-3 days, she was calling her nurse "Mom". Deb went above and beyond from the moment this patient arrived on the floor to make sure that she was comfortable, that she understood her condition and plan of care, and that she had someone to talk to. Deb assisted her in calling her family long distance and was integral in the work with social services to make sure she understood where and when to follow up so that she could get financial assistance for her upcoming medical care.
The patient was on our floor for approximately one week. That week was particularly busy for us and despite the high patient volume Deb still went that extra mile. It became obvious on Deb's last scheduled shift for the week that this special patient was going home the next day. We were looking for extra staff for the next day and Deb volunteered to come in on her day off. When she arrived the next day she brought a nice lap blanket in a gift bag with a card for the patient from the staff of the unit. She just felt that with the patient's upcoming chemo therapy she might want something nice to keep her warm and to make her feel secure. The patient really appreciated the gift and when it was time for her to go she stood in the hallway for minutes hugging this nurse thanking her and saying, "Just don't forget about me". There was not a dry eye in the nurses' station. A couple of weeks later the patient returned to visit her nurse and to give her an update on her progress.
Deb is one of the most compassionate nurses I have ever had the privilege to know. I feel that she really made an impact on this patient's life. She could have taken care of her adequately without all of the extra steps that she put into it. It is that "extra" that was exactly what this patient needed.
Recently, we had a patient come to our floor who was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. This patient had some cognitive delays and had no social support. Deb was her admission nurse and from that point on became her support. By the time the patient had been here 2-3 days, she was calling her nurse "Mom". Deb went above and beyond from the moment this patient arrived on the floor to make sure that she was comfortable, that she understood her condition and plan of care, and that she had someone to talk to. Deb assisted her in calling her family long distance and was integral in the work with social services to make sure she understood where and when to follow up so that she could get financial assistance for her upcoming medical care.
The patient was on our floor for approximately one week. That week was particularly busy for us and despite the high patient volume Deb still went that extra mile. It became obvious on Deb's last scheduled shift for the week that this special patient was going home the next day. We were looking for extra staff for the next day and Deb volunteered to come in on her day off. When she arrived the next day she brought a nice lap blanket in a gift bag with a card for the patient from the staff of the unit. She just felt that with the patient's upcoming chemo therapy she might want something nice to keep her warm and to make her feel secure. The patient really appreciated the gift and when it was time for her to go she stood in the hallway for minutes hugging this nurse thanking her and saying, "Just don't forget about me". There was not a dry eye in the nurses' station. A couple of weeks later the patient returned to visit her nurse and to give her an update on her progress.
Deb is one of the most compassionate nurses I have ever had the privilege to know. I feel that she really made an impact on this patient's life. She could have taken care of her adequately without all of the extra steps that she put into it. It is that "extra" that was exactly what this patient needed.