I have had the honor of working alongside two incredibly passionate nurses, Kirstie and Debbie. Not only do they dedicate their free time to wound rounds each week, they often go beyond what is expected.
There was a patient who was in our care for 72 days, whose wife was always by his side. She kept a very upbeat demeanor and decorated the room with colorful adult coloring pictures. Many times she would receive bad news, another setback and she would put on a brave face and kept her persistent positive energy. Recently, she received very bad news about his prognosis. Debbie and Kirstie saw her very distraught state and comforted her. They recognized she needed a release. After rounds, they took her out to Panera. That small act of kindness was a huge help to the patient's wife. Even though the patient did expire this allowed her to lean on Debbie and Kirstie in a time where one feels completely alone.
Kirstie and Debbie embraced the true essence of being a nurse. Even though they were both exhausted, they mustered up enough energy to help someone in desperate need of affection and support.