Emily Williams has been an incredible nurse on the unit. I have learned a great deal from her and am very grateful. It is very difficult to summarize in a few words her contribution to the nursing team. I joined the Spaulding Rehab Hospital near the end of 2020. Initially, I had a difficult time connecting and engaging with the many different levels of staff (management to nursing assistants).
However, Emily was very proactive and immediate in teaming up and training me. Initially was very negative in my discussions, yet she was the only staff member to meet with me and provide me with feedback. She was vocal with behavioral improvements while congratulating me on behavioral success.
With time, she has been extremely helpful as I have worked with my therapists. When possible, she has quizzed me to ensure my success. When not possible, she has provided feedback to my therapists. I recently had a rather negative experience with a member of the managing staff. Something I don't usually do, I shared the situation with her. She proudly and confidently shared my inappropriate behavior with me; this was very recent, I had a deep trust in her. At the time, I listened to her and grew a great deal from our discussion. I did appreciate that she also gave me feedback on my positive behavior. This exercise helped me grow internally quite a bit. I have greatly valued my time at SRH. I have grown quite a bit, but because of her, become very aware of my internal behavior and weaknesses. I value this nurse very much and am very grateful for my relationship with her.
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This year my life changed. I was in a motorcycle accident that not only almost paralyzed me but almost ended my life. The extent of trauma that I suffered left a lot of unknowns and a potentially long journey of recovery ahead. When I woke up in the hospital my internal battle had just begun. Doctors and nurses couldn't give me any answers on what the end result would look like for me; all they could tell me was that I had a lot of work to do and a long road ahead. I was terrified, but at that point, I made a decision, I was going to get better.
I was admitted to the Spaulding Rehabilitation center scared and because of COVID-19 protocol, I was alone without family. Needless to say, that 'fight' in me dwindled a bit. Scared and discouraged, the unknown was overwhelming, and I doubted my ability to get well. I was limited to visits from two people a day and an hour for each. While I was appreciative of having the ability to see them, I was still very scared and lonely. That's where this very special nurse named Emily Williams comes into play for my recovery.
While I had tremendous support from my family and friends and was able to keep in contact over the phone, it was still difficult to be away from them. Emily made this plight easier. She had become a surrogate sister of sorts. There were times where I would cry because I was in pain, or because I was alone and scared. There were times where I would cry for no reason. No matter, Emily would come into my room to comfort, encourage, and motivate me; always with the kindest smile (even though she was wearing a mask I could still tell that she had a smile on her face) and the most pleasant caring demeanor. Emily genuinely cared and was empathetic and it showed. She made what I felt was an impossible situation into one of hope and helped me get through these episodes of my internal doubt.
All of the staff at the Spaulding were professional, compassionate, and caring; something that I will be eternally grateful for and never forget. It was amazing how everyone catered to, assisted, and supported me, and Emily was the icing on the cake. She was the one that brought calm to me amongst my personal chaos and she did this without even knowing it. She was doing her job, a job that you can tell that she loved, and the goodness in here oozed out. Emily is a special person who has impacted my life.
After I got to the point in my recovery where it was time for me finally go home, I was a bit sad. Not because of my injuries or condition, but because I was being discharged and Emily was off that day and I didn't get to say thank you for everything and to let her know the positive impact that she had on me.
The morning of my discharge I was gathering my belongings when I found the sweetest thing that brought tears of joy; Emily had written me a note and left it on my mirror! Just a little goodbye and good luck note. This meant the world to me and made me extremely happy and grateful. It showed that she thought of me even when she wasn't there. It showed me how much not only I meant to her as her patient, but how much all her patients mean to her. She truly loves her job and cares for those under her care. I am also grateful that I am getting better, (at the time of this writing I am back to work and still going to physical therapy and it looks like I will make a full recovery), and tremendously thankful that I was fortunate enough to be cared for by an outstanding team and the most kindhearted, wonderful person that went above and beyond. For this I can't thank her enough, Emily Williams.