The COVID pandemic has been a trying time for both nurses and patients alike creating multi-faceted situations that have never before needed to be addressed. It is well acknowledged that nursing staff is often stretched and stressed providing care to the complex patients that suffer from COVID. It is a grueling and exhausting task at times and creates very little time to perform responsibilities that are not 100% necessary. COVID additionally places an unimaginable burden on family, restricting visitation and not allowing them to physically comfort their loved ones.

This is often understandably tough for patients' families to cope with, and tonight I saw one nurse go far above and beyond to bridge this gap and provide comfort and information. John Clavecillas was taking care of the sickest types of COVID patients there are, a proned, vented one-to-one patient. Early in the night the daughter of the patient called and wanted to go over her father’s condition in depth asking many questions regarding labs, specific numbers, and ventilator settings. Instead of dismissing the young daughter’s questions because of the many tasks he needed to perform, John thoroughly explained her father’s condition using his expertise to not only help her understand but help her feel comfortable with John caring for her father. Even during the middle of a pandemic, which just seems to never end, John found time to empathetically care for not only his patient but the patient's family as well.

John has such amazing critical care skills and knowledge, but also a caring and gentle heart. When I first began working at St. Clare almost eight years ago, the slogan frequently used was "St. Clare has Heart''- John embodies this.