Gene exudes excellence daily. He is one of the most knowledgeable members of our burn team yet works everyday like it is a new day and opportunity to expand his knowledge. He is fair and treats every patient equally as if they were his own family. He will break his back before letting you break yours. Every day he walks around the unit to check on the patients and parents alike.
The different languages that his patients speak is no deterrent to his compassion. If you have done something that needs correcting, you walk away from the conversation built up and more knowledgeable. The number of patients that he has profoundly impacted is mind blowing. Patients that now have families of their own come back and continually thank him. He takes the time to teach anybody that is interested. You can't help but walk away a better person after working with him.
Gene fights so hard for every patient who walks through our doors. He will spend his entire shift vigorously fighting/advocating for his patients while simultaneously comforting the patient with his incredible patience and knowledge of burn care. I always tell him that I want to be like him when I grow up. His response is always "oh no baby, you are gonna be better."
As I am writing this I can hear him outside my door and he has greeted at least 5 people and taken the time to ask them specifically about somebody in their family. He takes the time to impact and touch lives all day, every day.
It has been said "to do what nobody else will do, in a way that nobody else can do, in spite of all we go through...that is what it is to be a nurse." And that is Gene McGowen.