July 2018
Katrina
Reyes
,
RN
7A
Sibley Memorial Hospital
Washington
,
DC
United States
I was in the hospital 14 days following ileostomy surgery. This letter is about my impatient experience.
I overall had very kind nurses at Sibley but what Katrina and Erin did was professionally and kindly address the insecurities and ineptitude I had developed in changing and emptying my ostomy bag. They anticipated these inevitabilities, since I was fresh out of surgery, and never made me feel guilty. Like clockwork, both ladies came at specific times during their shifts without me having to call them, to change and/or empty my ostomy bag. Because of my substantial weight, my bag had continued to leak on several occasions and after they changed the ostomy bag themselves they would reach out to other staff in the hospital whom they thought were best at helping to solve this leaky bag problem.
When I called both nurses on the phone, their response time in coming back into my hospital room was lightning-quick and unmatched, even when it was in the wee hours of the morning, at a time when it was sometimes difficult to get a hold of some nurses. In short, Katrina Reyes and Erin Minor were exceedingly polite and compassionate and put me at ease during a very tense and stressful period, since I was very sick.
If both Katrina and Erin ever took more time than their customary responses to my phone calls, they would both explain, succinctly and comprehensively, the nature of the delay. The infrequent delays were minor and rare. They only occurred during the rarest of emergencies with other patients. This demonstrates their honesty in dealing with patients. They set an example for the other nurses.
Both nurses always explained what my medication was for, why I was taking it within a specific time frame, and how many hours I would have to wait between dosages. What set Katrina and Erin apart from the other nurses was that prior to the next medication dosage period, they would timely come into my room to ask how I was feeling. This gave me a comfortable opportunity to decline or decide to take the next round of pain medication.
Ms. Reyes and Ms. Minor worked like a "hand and glove", meaning they worked as a seamless team. Their actions on their respective shifts perfectly complimented each other. Both nurses' teamwork was exceptional in terms of continuity of care. It was as if they had the same theory of patient care- a seamless transition. The care I received from these nurses was at the highest level possible.
I overall had very kind nurses at Sibley but what Katrina and Erin did was professionally and kindly address the insecurities and ineptitude I had developed in changing and emptying my ostomy bag. They anticipated these inevitabilities, since I was fresh out of surgery, and never made me feel guilty. Like clockwork, both ladies came at specific times during their shifts without me having to call them, to change and/or empty my ostomy bag. Because of my substantial weight, my bag had continued to leak on several occasions and after they changed the ostomy bag themselves they would reach out to other staff in the hospital whom they thought were best at helping to solve this leaky bag problem.
When I called both nurses on the phone, their response time in coming back into my hospital room was lightning-quick and unmatched, even when it was in the wee hours of the morning, at a time when it was sometimes difficult to get a hold of some nurses. In short, Katrina Reyes and Erin Minor were exceedingly polite and compassionate and put me at ease during a very tense and stressful period, since I was very sick.
If both Katrina and Erin ever took more time than their customary responses to my phone calls, they would both explain, succinctly and comprehensively, the nature of the delay. The infrequent delays were minor and rare. They only occurred during the rarest of emergencies with other patients. This demonstrates their honesty in dealing with patients. They set an example for the other nurses.
Both nurses always explained what my medication was for, why I was taking it within a specific time frame, and how many hours I would have to wait between dosages. What set Katrina and Erin apart from the other nurses was that prior to the next medication dosage period, they would timely come into my room to ask how I was feeling. This gave me a comfortable opportunity to decline or decide to take the next round of pain medication.
Ms. Reyes and Ms. Minor worked like a "hand and glove", meaning they worked as a seamless team. Their actions on their respective shifts perfectly complimented each other. Both nurses' teamwork was exceptional in terms of continuity of care. It was as if they had the same theory of patient care- a seamless transition. The care I received from these nurses was at the highest level possible.