My dad, a nurse himself, has been battling cancer for the past year, for the second time. He has been in and out of the hospital over the last 5-6 months with an infection or other issues. This time, we came in with fluid in his lungs for the second time. The doctors decided that they needed to go in with surgery and clean out the infection. Even though my dad, a nurse of 33 years, understood the procedure and explained it all to me and my mom, we were still a little nervous about what the surgery might bring.

After the surgery, he was put in the SICU. Dad had warned us that he would have chest tubes and might be intubated. When we came into his room after surgery, it was a little shocking to see my dad like that. There was no intubation, but tubes were everywhere, and a face was swollen from a 4-hour surgery. But the great team in SICU reassured me and my mom that he was doing well and everything was under control. There was such a peace knowing that he was getting great care. His nurse then was K, who was awesome. A side note: my dad is a nurse manager of another critical care unit in the same hospital. I can't imagine the intimidation factor that might exist in taking care of someone who is a leader and that you might know. Also, with other leaders (including the CNO) stopping by anytime, that is intimidating, and the SICU team dealt with it with flying colors. As the week moved on, we had the same nurse for several straight days - Jacob and nights M (also an amazing nurse).

From the moment I met Jacob, he acknowledged my presence in the room and spoke not just to my dad but also to me. He explained in non-medical terms what things meant and why. Every time I was there, he included me in the conversation. Jacob was incredibly friendly and nice, as I tend to ask a lot of questions. He made sure every day that I knew how my dad was doing. At one point, Dad developed Sub-cue air in his chest. I hadn't stayed the night, so I was not aware until I walked in the next day. I kind of panicked, asking several questions. But Jacob graciously answered my questions and put my mind at ease. Jacob was always reassuring.

One evening, as I was leaving, he made sure I knew that Dad was in a good place, doing better and that if anything changed, he would call me specifically and make sure he had the right phone number. I knew every day when I left to go to work or take care of things that I could trust Jacob's care for my dad. Jacob didn't just give great medical care to my dad; he gave great care to everyone in the room. I grew up in a medical family. My dad, aunt, and cousin are all nurses. I worked at the hospital for ten years in HR. I would like to say that I know and have an expectation of what Covenant Health System's care is and should be every time. This experience exceeded my expectations. As a patient family member, I felt taken care of, and I knew my dad's care was solid and upheld the standards of Covenant.

Thank you to Jacob for making sure not only that my dad had great care but also recognizing part of his care included informing his family. You are an incredible nurse and do an amazing job at a hard job. Thank you. Also, thank you to the entire SICU-3 staff. You all made a difference, and I am so appreciative.