Destiny Gartland
August 2021
Destiny
Gartland
,
RN
Coronary Intensive Care Unit
Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center
Milwaukee
,
WI
United States
Destiny took it upon herself to assess him and essentially speak his language. She was able to understand his wants and needs and they became instant friends.
There are a lot of nurses who care about patients and their jobs, but Destiny is on another level. I have never had such a great nurse before. I haven’t been able to cut my hair or my beard at home because I can’t stand at the sink long. Destiny took a lot of time out of her day to give me a haircut and shave my beard and it felt so wonderful. She was also so kind and compassionate sitting down and explaining details of my hospital stay. I had PTSD following 66 ICD shocks and Destiny turned on music that I enjoy, sat next to me, and helped calm me. She went above and beyond! Now my BiPAP will fit better with my beard gone.
***
Destiny has been such an inspiration to our unit. She goes out of her way to include everyone regardless of who they are. We recently had a patient who has cognitive deficits and had trouble communicating his needs. He lives in a group home in the bay care area where they are in tune with his nonverbal communication. Unfortunately, because he was so far from home, we were unable to get someone here to help with this communication barrier. Staff were getting frustrated trying to understand what he needed, and he was getting angry as no one was able to get him what he wanted. Destiny, who has a background working in group homes, heard about this patient in report and although she was not assigned to him, she took it upon herself to assess him and essentially speak his language. She was able to understand his wants and needs and they became instant friends. She wrote out a care plan for the staff describing him to the staff: his food preferences, favorite tv programs, and what some of his non-verbals translated to. She changed the way his experience was and helped all team members that interacted with him to give him the dignity and safety he deserved. He was here for about 10 days and due to Destiny's dedication and compassion she was able to keep this patient safe in a place far from home. On his last day with us, Destiny again showed her new friend what an awesome person and nurse she is, and she went to Starbucks and bought him a reusable plastic cup to take home and a special drink to celebrate him going back home. She truly is a prime example of inclusion and safety that we all strive to achieve.
***
Destiny has been such an inspiration to our unit. She goes out of her way to include everyone regardless of who they are. We recently had a patient who has cognitive deficits and had trouble communicating his needs. He lives in a group home in the bay care area where they are in tune with his nonverbal communication. Unfortunately, because he was so far from home, we were unable to get someone here to help with this communication barrier. Staff were getting frustrated trying to understand what he needed, and he was getting angry as no one was able to get him what he wanted. Destiny, who has a background working in group homes, heard about this patient in report and although she was not assigned to him, she took it upon herself to assess him and essentially speak his language. She was able to understand his wants and needs and they became instant friends. She wrote out a care plan for the staff describing him to the staff: his food preferences, favorite tv programs, and what some of his non-verbals translated to. She changed the way his experience was and helped all team members that interacted with him to give him the dignity and safety he deserved. He was here for about 10 days and due to Destiny's dedication and compassion she was able to keep this patient safe in a place far from home. On his last day with us, Destiny again showed her new friend what an awesome person and nurse she is, and she went to Starbucks and bought him a reusable plastic cup to take home and a special drink to celebrate him going back home. She truly is a prime example of inclusion and safety that we all strive to achieve.