As a PCA who works on the oncology floor, I had the unfortunate experience of having to visit the ER for extreme pain in my legs because of a tumor that I have near my spine. While I was down at the ER, I was placed in the hallway. I remember sitting there and crying because of the amount of pain I felt, but not only that, but also because I’ve been dealing with chronic pain for a while now, and then there comes Nurse Grace.

She recognized me from a previous ER visit, which was also when she was my nurse. She asked if I was okay, and I explained the situation to her. I was assigned to another nurse, but because she was already familiar with me, she decided to take me as her patient. And she didn’t stop there. She spoke to the doctor right away and got pain medicine prescribed to me. She listened to me and comforted me. I’ve been in the ER multiple times, and I haven’t received as great care as I did from Grace.

She was my breath of fresh air after weeks of pain and feeling like I was going to be dismissed. She was a blessing in disguise. She advocated for me, and she educated me further on my condition, but most of all, I felt heard and understood. I didn’t feel dismissed because Grace made sure of that. I wasn’t there as an employee; no one knew I worked at UofL. I was a regular patient and received excellent care. Grace was a gift sent from God, and she’ll always be in my thoughts and prayers.