Gela cared for my father when he first arrived at the ICU from the Emergency Department. That morning, my mom called me and told me that my dad had a stroke. I rushed to the airport to fly to SFO from LAX. I was worried about my parents. This situation is very stressful, scary, and confusing. Since English is not their first language, I was concerned that they wouldn't be able to understand what was going on.
When I arrived at the ICU, Gela already knew who I was! She said, "Hi, future NP!" Gela focused on my dad's care but also took the time to get to know my mother and me. She has a great, energetic, and humorous personality. She made my dad laugh and she laughed at my dad's silly jokes. She is an example of patient-family centered care.
Gela also educated my dad, mom, and me about his care and what were the next steps. She explained in simple terms about the type of stroke he had, medications, interventions, and care plan. She is such a kind, funny, professional, compassionate nurse and really cared about my dad.
The next day, Gela was a breaker, and my dad was so happy to see her!