As the Family Liaison, the story I typically hear from families is about what went wrong. It is the passionate and grateful family that takes time to call to discuss what went right. Such was my recent phone call from a mom specifically to recognize excellent nursing from Judy Goebel. A’s daughter X had just returned home from the St. Paul short stay unit and A called to tell me how wonderful Judy Goebel was to their entire family. A said she has had a lot of hospital experience for both herself and for her children so knows first-hand what excellent nursing looks like.

A has MS and Judy, recognizing how difficult it was for her to walk even short distances, got a wheelchair for mom. Being culturally sensitive includes awareness of differences between people and being responsive to needs. A said Judy was on top of everything that needed to be done, from A - Z.

Judy recognized Dr. L's tight schedule so made sure she had everything lined up ahead of time, demonstrating compassion and collaboration that impacted both staff and this family. Judy continued to ask this family what they needed, continued to ask them if they had questions. A said she was calling because this was such an outstanding experience and she wanted to make sure Judy was recognized. I asked how X was doing and A said she is not out of the woods yet and will need additional tests and treatments. Even when the outcome was not all they had hoped for, this family remains satisfied because of the way Judy delivered care.