I came in in a lot of pain. Being a nurse, I know how busy the staff is and I was trying so hard to not be a burden and minimize how needy I was. This nurse did not believe my attempts to minimize my issues. He heard me sniffling (from trying to contain my crying) and rushed in to start my IV and do my assessment and medicate me (my hero). He continued to check on me constantly even though I could hear how busy he was just based on EMS giving report, the way the families in the other beds were talking about what was happening with their people, etc.

Being separated by a thin curtain I also heard pretty much everything happening in our little corner (as happens in the ED). He deserves to be recognized for the way he was interacting with everyone else as well. The woman on the other side of the curtain from me was non-verbal and had AMS and you could tell she was scared. He made sure that she knew everything that was going on and he spoke to her like she was his family. Not everyone will do that and that makes such a difference. He took the time to explain in detail how heparin drips work and down to the bolus vs maintenance doses side effects how long they would be on it etc to another family and answered their tons of questions with so much patience and compassion. Everyone he interacted with he gave his full attention to like they were the only patient that he had.

I don't know what kind of magician he is that he was able to do that and juggle everything that was going on, but he did. I could have easily been swept to the side and forgotten (and I would have been okay with that as my acuity was nothing comparatively) but he made sure to check in and make sure I was comfortable and talk to me regularly. I was not only physically uncomfortable but mentally and emotionally as well and he took the time to talk to me to make sure that I was okay and to advocate for me when I couldn't.