Harriette Waldo not only took care of the patient but also acted as his girlfriend's support, advisor, and resource. She patiently fulfilled each and every role in the face of multiple demands on her time. When I first encountered Harriette, she was sitting with the patient's girlfriend going over in minute detail the discharge instructions. I suspect this was not the first time she had done that.
It is worth noting that the patient required medical transport to get home. The service had been called 3 times that day and had sent a crew to pick up the patient only to be turned away because the girlfriend could not agree to proceed with the discharge. She was clearly uncomfortable with the care she'd be required to render once the patient got home in spite of the fact that the patient had home health nurses visiting him almost every day.
It's really hard to use simple words to set the scene that I observed. A busy unit, a patient nurse going over the plans, a frustrated and argumentative caregiver, and a rapidly deteriorating situation in that the transport crew had other calls to make and they just wanted to pick up the patient and leave. In fact, shortly after I arrived, someone on the unit called the nursing supervisor and asked him to come help resolve the issues.
If this patient interaction was the only time I have observed Harriette in a caring and compassionate role, I would probably wait for another time to recognize her. But I have seen Harriette give the best nursing care she can give in a loving and caring environment over and over during the probably 30 years that I have worked with her at Riverside Shore Memorial Hospital. She is an unsung hero. Most likely largely unrecognized because some of her best assets are not highly visible. She, day after day, goes about her business in a quiet, competent and unassuming manner.