Following the surgical procedure, I settled into my room, where Della Washington was assigned as my nurse. When I arrived at my room, I was still heavily sedated and don’t even remember arriving at the room. However, Nurse Della was on the case. As I began to gradually wake up, she was right there to coax me back to consciousness, working to make me comfortable and seeing to my needs when I could not care for myself. After settling me in bed and explaining what to expect next, she brought me a menu, instructed me on how to order a dinner meal, made suggestions on what to order, and even offered to order for me. She was in and out of my room checking on my progress, administering meds, and actually caring for me rather than just treating my condition. Nurse Della, always pleasant, professional, and efficient, remembered to write the names of team members on the board in my room so I would know who was caring for me. Each time I made a request, she fulfilled it – not dutifully - but with what felt like personalization and caring professionalism.

Once when I needed personal care items that were not readily available on the floor, Nurse Della told me not to worry, she would obtain it from another floor and return with the item. Realizing how busy nurses are and the heavy patient load they sometimes manage, I thought it would probably take forever. However, to my surprise, she returned in about fifteen minutes with the items and an extra for later use. She was a wealth of knowledge about my recovery steps and understood my desire to regain strength, health, and independence as quickly as possible.

She listened and encouraged me. Her time with me never felt rushed or like she was just doing her job. The next morning (discharge day), I again got lucky because Nurse Della was assigned to me again. She listened and worked with me through all the steps leading to discharge. When reviewing the discharge orders, she was careful to stress the most important points, things to be aware of, and warning signs that would precipitate a call to the doctor. She arranged transport to the front door on a timetable that made it easy for my husband (who has a painful, bad back) to pick me up at the door, rather than having to park and walk all the way up to my room and then back down again.

Nurse Della is truly an asset to the Lankenau staff and a model for what patient care should be. She has my respect for the work she does and my utmost appreciation for the excellent care she provided to me. For these reasons and without reservation, I nominate Nurse Della Washington, my medical hero, for the DAISY Award. Patients at Lankenau Hospital are fortunate to have Nurse Della on their medical team.