Erik Hays
June 2022
Erik
Hays
,
ADN, RN
Tower 3
WellSpan York Hospital
York
,
PA
United States
I will never forget seeing Erik run down the hall to fulfill his promise. He was my Superman.
I was admitted to WellSpan York Hospital just after midnight in January. Right after I was admitted, a procedure of withdrawing fluid from a large surgical wound was done. I asked to be numbed or sedated and was denied both. I was terrified as I was told they had to do it again the next day. In enters Erik for the day shift around 7 am. I explained what happened and was sobbing all over again. He listened with deep compassion and care.
I told him that they said I would have it done again today. He said he would do everything he could to make sure I would not have to go through that without some help of numbing medicine or sedation. He asked if he could do anything for me in the meantime, and I wanted a big cup of hot tea with milk and sweetener. He brought me a large one, which made me feel cared about and that I had truly been listened to.
After a while, he came in and told me the approximate time they would do the procedure, which is where my PTSD kicked in and I started to panic and cry again. He calmed me and said not to worry as he had made sure I would be numbed, and I would be given something for anxiety beforehand. I felt like a thousand pounds had been lifted off me.
It was close to lunchtime, and they came to get me and I had not had the anti-anxiety medications yet and started getting upset again. The nurse that was getting me ready to go down told them to stop because she had to talk to Erik. I stared down the hall and saw him coming as fast as he could with my medication. After that, they took me somewhere to numb me and completed the procedure in less than 10 minutes. No pain, no anxiety, and no trauma.
It was only when I returned to the unit, I learned that Erik was on his lunch break when they came to get me but had told the nurse covering not to let them take me until he got there and to call him as soon as possible. I will never forget seeing him run down the hall to fulfill his promise.
He was my Superman. He gave me extraordinary care the entire time I was there. This story is not to point out someone else’s wrongdoing, but to point out how someone who is beyond exceptional can take a disaster and trauma and turn it into a blessing and healing. In fact, I now call him "The Healer" when I share my story with family and friends.
I told him that they said I would have it done again today. He said he would do everything he could to make sure I would not have to go through that without some help of numbing medicine or sedation. He asked if he could do anything for me in the meantime, and I wanted a big cup of hot tea with milk and sweetener. He brought me a large one, which made me feel cared about and that I had truly been listened to.
After a while, he came in and told me the approximate time they would do the procedure, which is where my PTSD kicked in and I started to panic and cry again. He calmed me and said not to worry as he had made sure I would be numbed, and I would be given something for anxiety beforehand. I felt like a thousand pounds had been lifted off me.
It was close to lunchtime, and they came to get me and I had not had the anti-anxiety medications yet and started getting upset again. The nurse that was getting me ready to go down told them to stop because she had to talk to Erik. I stared down the hall and saw him coming as fast as he could with my medication. After that, they took me somewhere to numb me and completed the procedure in less than 10 minutes. No pain, no anxiety, and no trauma.
It was only when I returned to the unit, I learned that Erik was on his lunch break when they came to get me but had told the nurse covering not to let them take me until he got there and to call him as soon as possible. I will never forget seeing him run down the hall to fulfill his promise.
He was my Superman. He gave me extraordinary care the entire time I was there. This story is not to point out someone else’s wrongdoing, but to point out how someone who is beyond exceptional can take a disaster and trauma and turn it into a blessing and healing. In fact, I now call him "The Healer" when I share my story with family and friends.