A hospital stay can be a bewildering experience for patients and their family members. And while it takes an entire medical team working together to make marked improvements in patients' health, it is a specific group of medical professionals—nurses—who are well-positioned to bring compassion to this process and reassurance to their patients.
One St. Charles Hospital nurse with the ability to put her patients at ease is Emily Wood, RN, a nurse on the Hospital's Medical/Surgical Unit. And for this, Emily has been honored with a DAISY Award.
One patient explained the impact Emily made, saying, "Since meeting Emily, I am more comfortable with instructions from the doctors. She is very good at explaining the reason my medications are needed and how they will help me reach my goal sooner and go home to my family."
Another patient noted, "Emily took the time out to patiently answer all of our questions in terms that we can understand, even though we are not in the medical profession."
The nursing students who have shadowed Emily have noticed how much Emily's careful attention matters to her patients. One student said, "Emily explained everything to the patients so well. They were very satisfied with their care."
Patients' family members have likewise praised Emily for making their loved one's stay at St. Charles a positive experience. While several patients have expressed appreciation for the songs Emily sang to cheer them, the wife of one patient wrote to the hospital, saying, "My husband has been in and out of the hospital many times and from the time he was admitted to 3 East, Emily was kind, warm-hearted and gentle. She took her time to explain to exactly what was going on."