May 2018
Eric
Hodson
,
RN
PACU
Doctors Medical Center of Modesto
Modesto
,
CA
United States
As a nurse, I know we are the worst patients. We self-diagnose, self-medicate, and only follow some of the medical advice we are given. We are stubborn and difficult to care for, as we are used to providing care, not receiving it.
Recently I was in the position of being the loved one to a patient at DMC. This is a foreign role to me, as I am used to being a nurse at DMC, one who grew up within these walls; as my parents are also nurses. My mother, a retired OR nurse, was admitted through the ED for a large kidney stone and had surgery very late the next day to have it removed and a renal stent placed. She was taken to the operating room at 2230 and hit the PACU around midnight. The anesthesiologist came to see me in the waiting room to update me on how she had done and then brought me down to the PACU to see my mom. I hadn't asked to see her, as I assumed it would be off limits considering the time of day and the fact that she was recovering from surgery. I was quite wrong and was surprisingly welcomed into the recovery room to see her and stand by her side by her PACU nurse, Eric Hodson.
My mother was not an easy PACU patient who just slept off her anesthesia. She was in a considerable amount of pain and was extremely anxious to boot. Eric was exactly what she needed. He talked her through each step, every medication he administered, all of her vital signs. He never rolled his eyes, sounded annoyed, or even made her feel like the pain she was experiencing wasn't his top priority. He was calm, caring, and confident. He displayed more compassion for her than I ever expected. His hand rubbed her shoulder to try to calm her down; he tried, again and again, different medication combinations to combat her pain. I am grateful Eric happened to be on call that night and I couldn't be more pleased with the exceptional care he gave her. His patients are very lucky people and DMC is lucky to have Eric on their staff. Caregivers like him are the reason I became a nurse and the reason why I choose to work at DMC. Thank you, Eric!
Recently I was in the position of being the loved one to a patient at DMC. This is a foreign role to me, as I am used to being a nurse at DMC, one who grew up within these walls; as my parents are also nurses. My mother, a retired OR nurse, was admitted through the ED for a large kidney stone and had surgery very late the next day to have it removed and a renal stent placed. She was taken to the operating room at 2230 and hit the PACU around midnight. The anesthesiologist came to see me in the waiting room to update me on how she had done and then brought me down to the PACU to see my mom. I hadn't asked to see her, as I assumed it would be off limits considering the time of day and the fact that she was recovering from surgery. I was quite wrong and was surprisingly welcomed into the recovery room to see her and stand by her side by her PACU nurse, Eric Hodson.
My mother was not an easy PACU patient who just slept off her anesthesia. She was in a considerable amount of pain and was extremely anxious to boot. Eric was exactly what she needed. He talked her through each step, every medication he administered, all of her vital signs. He never rolled his eyes, sounded annoyed, or even made her feel like the pain she was experiencing wasn't his top priority. He was calm, caring, and confident. He displayed more compassion for her than I ever expected. His hand rubbed her shoulder to try to calm her down; he tried, again and again, different medication combinations to combat her pain. I am grateful Eric happened to be on call that night and I couldn't be more pleased with the exceptional care he gave her. His patients are very lucky people and DMC is lucky to have Eric on their staff. Caregivers like him are the reason I became a nurse and the reason why I choose to work at DMC. Thank you, Eric!