I was walking in the hallway when I was asked for my help with a former patient who wanted to thank two nurses. This former patient was here last December and came back with flowers and a card for a nurse named Heather. He just wanted to thank these two nurses for the care he received last year. As I was talking to him I found out that he had quad by-pass surgery last December, so we decided to try our Cardiology Unit. I was trying to capture in my memory all that he was saying regarding the care they gave him, but the bottom line was that these two nurses had dramatically impacted his life.
When we arrived on 3C, we found that Heather was there. Heather came over and as this former patient started telling her how she made a difference in his life and how much he appreciated the work she does as a nurse, there was total silence in the nurses' station and not a dry eye. He explained that the only other people he knew that had heart problems had died and he was frightened that it might happen to him. He said that Heather was so sweet, gentle, attentive and encouraging.
He explained to me that the feeling after his quad by-pass was like a computer rebooting. Some of his senses like taste came back gradually. He felt his mind had to be reprogramed to walk, deal with the pain, even eat.
He just turned 58 a few days ago and he said he had been healthy all his life, never was hospitalized and all of a sudden, he was dependent on others and trying to work through the pain. He mentioned how humbling it was to have someone help him to the bathroom but how these two treated him with dignity and respect. He told us that he shares over and over with family and friends the great care that Heather and Caitlyn gave him and the impact they had on his life.
As I was walking him out, he mentioned how grateful he was for another year of life and that each year he will come back and tell them "thank you."
Thank you, Heather, for not just doing your job but doing your job with passion, caring, compassion.