I recently spent several days in the Sturgis Hospital. Luckily, I had the good fortune to have Heather Ludeman as my nurse for several shifts.
The first thing I noticed about her was her warm smile that showed through her eyes above her face mask that she had to wear to protect herself from my illnesses. Heather was extremely knowledgeable about my many medical problems and made a point to explain things to me. I was very confused at times and she was so kind to explain and explain again until I understood.
I lost my husband nine months ago and while I was in the hospital my father passed away. She was so kind and compassionate during this difficult time. She went out of her way to help with the logistics of getting me a one-day "swing bed" pass so I could attend his funeral. She made a point to come give me a hug before I left for my dad's service and with tears in her eyes, she told me how sorry she was for my loss. We not only had a few tears but some laughs as well. She has a cute sense of humor.
One evening when things slowed a bit for her, she came in my room and we had such a nice visit. I was able to get to know her a little bit as a person and was even more impressed. Heather had such positive things to say about her supervisor and the other nurses, aids, and the hospital as a whole. She always had an upbeat personality.
My son is an ICU nurse in California and after he arrived, Heather explained, with my consent, all my numbers, and test results so he could understand what was going on as well. My son was as impressed with her as I was.
I must tell you that I was impressed with all the nurses and Nursing Aids at Sturgis Community, however, Heather stood out.
When I found out about the DAISY Award I felt the need to nominate her and to let you know that Heather is the type of nurse who would be a perfect recipient of this honor. She goes out of her way to make her patients as comfortable and happy as she can. I felt so honored to have had her as my nurse.