Recently, my father was a patient in your hospital, and he had an exemplary nurse. Jennifer Diaz works the day shift on the Med Surg Unit. My dad was initially admitted for abdominal pain and discovered he had what was presumed to be rectal cancer. Obviously, our family was not prepared for such news. None of us were prepared for him to walk out of the hospital as a cancer patient, but he certainly walked out of there. For that, we are grateful.
This amazing nurse Jennifer was patient and kind to my dad and his wife. On one of the worst days of their lives, she reassured them and made him feel comfortable. Jen took her time with them and treated them as if they were her priority. All of their children live in other states across the country, so knowing they both had the support of anyone, even a complete stranger helped calm us all.
I called Jen on the morning of his surgery to hear how his previous night went. Thanks to Jen I was able to talk to him on the phone right before he went to the OR. After speaking with her that day, I felt more at ease knowing he was in her care. The following day, I again called Jen to get an update to see how his surgery went and to inquire about his future care plan. She once again took her time with me, explaining what she knew. At the end of the conversation, she told me that if I ever had any questions, I was welcome to call back.
It may sound trite, but from what my parents told me about their interactions with Jen, and my own time spent talking to her, I could feel the love in her heart for her craft. I guess I should say our craft because I am also a nurse, but I was his daughter first. Every day on my unit, I aim to provide care to my patients as if they were my own family. I have always hoped that should my family ever need medical attention, that someone would treat them with that same respect and kindness. Jen has fulfilled that hope for me.
I would like to recognize her for what she gave to our family in such a difficult time. Without her caring heart, empathy, and knowledge, I don't know that we would have made it through the way we did. I know that our family will always remember her. Thank you for having extraordinary nurses like her.