John took care of me 4 nights in a row. He immediately checked in every shift and did a thorough assessment. He was professional and friendly, constantly putting me at ease. He never pulled "rank" on me but rather listened attentively to me and my wife with any concerns. Several times during my post-op stay during periods of panic/anxiety and then delirium, he recognized the signs and symptoms of impending anxiety attacks. He routinely checked all CABG, chest tube and drain sites, measuring output meticulously. Anytime my wife would put the call light on during the night, he was in the room immediately. He developed a trusting relationship with me and I looked forward to having him on every night. Both my wife and I felt very comfortable when we knew John was on duty. He is relatively a new nurse, but I believe he could teach other staff about compassion and understanding, as well as using critical thinking when making decisions. He immediately called the CVPA on call last night when I developed some facial drooping, knowing it was imperative that this be assessed quickly. My wife and I thank John for his care. Mission is lucky to have him.
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I was transferred to Mission from another facility after having already spent 5 days there. I had already had multiple tests, was in pain, was in AFIB and had just found out I likely had cancer, so I was already stressed and frustrated. When I was put in my room and met my nurse, I felt like I had known him for years and he treated me as if we were already old friends. That helped me to have trust in him which helped reduce my stress. During the 3 nights, he was my nurse, I always looked forward to his arrival in the evening. He consistently showed his dedication to his job and I saw him treat everyone with respect, regardless of who it was. His positive, and upbeat attitude helped keep me encouraged and optimistic. He was an advocate for me when tests were ordered so that they did not interfere with my rest while allowing time for testing. He was proactive and anticipated my needs, whether medication or getting out of bed so that I did not wait unnecessarily. When I first converted out of Afib, he rushed excitedly into my room and was genuinely excited to tell me it had happened and celebrated with me. He even got my phone so I could call my wife to tell her, and I had to leave a message and she was unable to reach me and called the nurse's station, he excitedly shared the good news with her.
John always took the time to answer any questions my family and I had and helped us know and understand everything that was going on. My family was reassured that I was in excellent hands so they could leave in the evenings to rest without worrying about me, which meant that I did not need to worry about them either. While I have had good nurses during my stay, John was truly exceptional and in a class above the rest. At a time when things were confusing and stressful, he brought encouragement and positivity that was critical to my healing.