Iris Aguilar
September 2021
Iris
Aguilar
,
RN
Med Surg
Banner Thunderbird Medical Center
Glendale
,
AZ
United States
Iris heard me, acknowledge me, educated me, and then gave me the right to choose, doing all of this with such professionalism and compassion.
During my hospital stay at Banner Thunderbird, I was beyond fortunate to have Iris Aguilar as my RN for 3 nights. This was my second hospitalization in a week, I was previously hospitalized at a non-Banner facility for severe abdominal pain and vomiting. They were unable to find the cause. After 7 days of not eating or drinking and severe abdominal pain, I was finally diagnosed with a small bowel obstruction and admitted to Banner Thunderbird.
Iris came in shortly after I arrived in my room, from the moment Iris walked into the room I felt a sense of comfort, she introduced herself and asked me if I felt up to answering a few questions. As I explained the course of my illness and previous hospital stay, Iris attentively listened and showed great concern and compassion. She explained to me the orders placed by the hospitalist and surgeon as well as the process of placing an NG tube. While having an NG tube put in is horrible, Iris walked me through it every step of the way. She was gentle, confident and showed great concern for not only my physical state but also my mental wellbeing. After having the NG tube in for an hour or so, I expressed to Iris that I wanted to have it removed. Iris explained she could ask the on-call doctor for orders to remove it but encouraged me to keep it in until the surgeon saw me the next morning further informing me of the reasons why. I cannot explain how grateful I was for this, she heard me but gently explained my options and gave the reasoning behind it, allowing me to make the best decision for myself. I kept the NG tube in, which was the best decision given the testing needed the next day. She continued to check in on me numerous times throughout the night, making sure I was as comfortable as possible.
The next evening, I was elated when Iris came into the room during shift change and I learned she would be my nurse again that night. I could tell Iris consistently reviewed my chart and was very knowledgeable when it came to my diagnosis, lab and x-ray results, and medications. She not only educated me on my diagnosis and recovery along the way, but she also showed great compassion and treated me as a person, not just a patient. The simple gesture of having a conversation went a long way!
I cannot thank Iris enough for the exceptional care and for being such a blessing to me during such a dire time. She truly was an answer to my prayers and had such a positive impact on my overall hospital stay!
Iris came in shortly after I arrived in my room, from the moment Iris walked into the room I felt a sense of comfort, she introduced herself and asked me if I felt up to answering a few questions. As I explained the course of my illness and previous hospital stay, Iris attentively listened and showed great concern and compassion. She explained to me the orders placed by the hospitalist and surgeon as well as the process of placing an NG tube. While having an NG tube put in is horrible, Iris walked me through it every step of the way. She was gentle, confident and showed great concern for not only my physical state but also my mental wellbeing. After having the NG tube in for an hour or so, I expressed to Iris that I wanted to have it removed. Iris explained she could ask the on-call doctor for orders to remove it but encouraged me to keep it in until the surgeon saw me the next morning further informing me of the reasons why. I cannot explain how grateful I was for this, she heard me but gently explained my options and gave the reasoning behind it, allowing me to make the best decision for myself. I kept the NG tube in, which was the best decision given the testing needed the next day. She continued to check in on me numerous times throughout the night, making sure I was as comfortable as possible.
The next evening, I was elated when Iris came into the room during shift change and I learned she would be my nurse again that night. I could tell Iris consistently reviewed my chart and was very knowledgeable when it came to my diagnosis, lab and x-ray results, and medications. She not only educated me on my diagnosis and recovery along the way, but she also showed great compassion and treated me as a person, not just a patient. The simple gesture of having a conversation went a long way!
I cannot thank Iris enough for the exceptional care and for being such a blessing to me during such a dire time. She truly was an answer to my prayers and had such a positive impact on my overall hospital stay!