I was admitted into the hospital with an infection and sepsis from a bad tooth. I was feeling better, and I really wanted to go home, but the infection I had was not allowing me to do so. I was very frustrated and upset because I felt like no one was listening to me that I do not have dental insurance and live on a limited budget because I care for my disabled husband and son. It was very hard to be away from them even though I felt like I was feeling better.
On second shift, in walked Jackie LeClair to my room. She had a smile, and warmth, and a very caring personality. For some reason, I felt like we instantly bonded. I gave her a brief description of how I was feeling that day. I had told her that the social worker said I was slated to go home that day, and she promised to find out as soon as she could about what was going on. Jackie gave me the answer promptly, but it wasn't the answer I was looking for, I had to stay one more night. She helped me understand that one more night was a good thing.
I was on the fifth floor and it was a very busy floor. Being I wasn't as sick as other patients sometimes I didn't see a nurse or a nursing assistant for hours. That of course didn't bother me, for like I said I wasn't feeling as sick as I was in the beginning of this journey. But Jackie kept popping in and checking on me. At one point she saw tears in my eyes, and her caring words made the tears go away. When I talked about my husband and son being disabled, she listened to me. She didn't work on the computer or do anything else but listen to me. That meant more to me than anything.
As the night went on, and Jackie would come into my room, it was like having a best friend in the room with me. We made each other laugh, and our humor was exactly alike. At one point I had family visiting, and Jackie and I had them in stitches. Even my family had said that Jackie was the best nurse they had ever come across.
Jackie is kind. She treated me like a person and not a patient. She really listened and cared about what I had to say. Jackie took care of me gently and explained everything that she was doing. Going above and beyond I feel is just in Jackie's nature which makes her such a great nurse. She listened and we both shared war stories of having a child with special needs. She understood why I wanted to go home so bad but talked to me in a calming explanation of why I needed to stay. At the end of her shift, she changed my bed for me. The next shift nurses started to trickle in, and Jackie told them to treat me very special, that I was a one of a kind patient. She then walked over to me and gave me the biggest hug. I told her I would never forget her, and I don't think I ever could. She told me the same. I got the biggest tears in my eyes because she had made me feel so special, and even loved.