February 2019
Deborah
Mcdonald
,
BSN, RN
Unit Specialty Coordinator, Periop Pre/Post Care
Sentara RMH Medical Center
Harrisonburg
,
VA
United States
Deb McDonald is a super star!! My 86 year young dad was in Pre-Op before his colon cancer surgery. The moment he was wheeled into the pre-op area Deb greeted him as if she had always known him. For someone who's last surgery was in 1950, he was very anxious and this made him feel a little more at ease.
My dad is challenged with hearing loss and Deb picked up on this immediately. She took the time to speak slow and clearly, on top of looking directly at him when she was talking. Deb was very thorough at explaining everything that she was doing. This was very comforting to him and the family.
One of the things I was most impressed with was how personable Deb was when my dad asked her where she was from. Something he asks most everyone one he meets! She did not hesitate to make conversation with him and talk about some of his favorite things; family, traveling and eating! Again, this made us all very comfortable and at ease with the situation my dad was in.
My dad is not a patient man and does not handle waiting very well. When he asked Deb what time he would go for surgery, she could tell that he was anxious. She told him that she would check to see how the doctor was doing and if things were running on schedule. When she came back, she had to tell us that things were running behind and it could be an hour before the doctor was ready for him. What was impressive was that Deb took the extra time to explain that this happens sometimes and shared some of the reasons why someone's surgery might be delayed.
I work in customer service and when training my staff, I always share with them that the beginning of someone's experience will set the tone of that experience. Deb absolutely set the tone for my dad to have a positive experience on the day of his surgery! I know that there are tons of people who work at Sentara RMH who are superstars, but Deb McDonald is a superstar who has a true passion for her job and the people she serves every day. The care and passion that she showed my dad was truly unforgettable and we could never thank her enough! She made a difference in our lives during a time of anxiety and the unknown.
My dad is challenged with hearing loss and Deb picked up on this immediately. She took the time to speak slow and clearly, on top of looking directly at him when she was talking. Deb was very thorough at explaining everything that she was doing. This was very comforting to him and the family.
One of the things I was most impressed with was how personable Deb was when my dad asked her where she was from. Something he asks most everyone one he meets! She did not hesitate to make conversation with him and talk about some of his favorite things; family, traveling and eating! Again, this made us all very comfortable and at ease with the situation my dad was in.
My dad is not a patient man and does not handle waiting very well. When he asked Deb what time he would go for surgery, she could tell that he was anxious. She told him that she would check to see how the doctor was doing and if things were running on schedule. When she came back, she had to tell us that things were running behind and it could be an hour before the doctor was ready for him. What was impressive was that Deb took the extra time to explain that this happens sometimes and shared some of the reasons why someone's surgery might be delayed.
I work in customer service and when training my staff, I always share with them that the beginning of someone's experience will set the tone of that experience. Deb absolutely set the tone for my dad to have a positive experience on the day of his surgery! I know that there are tons of people who work at Sentara RMH who are superstars, but Deb McDonald is a superstar who has a true passion for her job and the people she serves every day. The care and passion that she showed my dad was truly unforgettable and we could never thank her enough! She made a difference in our lives during a time of anxiety and the unknown.