My husband was to have a Mitral valve replacement and prior to surgery had a major brain bleed. The days that followed were very stressful. After he stabilized in the ICU he was transferred to the inpatient rehab unit. He was confused and wanted to go back to the room he came from. Basically, very agitated. Kerri was his admitting nurse. She assured me that everything would be fine and he just needed to get settled and she would be sure he would be watched so that nothing would happen during this change. She did exactly that and continued to support us both during his stay. She developed a nurturing relationship with him that allowed him to trust and listen to what she said to him. This I believe helped keep him safe during his first 7-10 days in the unit. He said to me, "I really like Kerri I feel like she really cares and she also listens to me. I am lucky to have her! I feel safe. She also took care of me reminding me that I needed to take care of myself as well and encouraged me to take steps to be sure that I did."
There were many caregivers but Kerri was special. As a nurse myself, she is the type of nurse that I feel is a true professional who shows warmth and caring while providing the best physical care. She is a jewel and will always be special to me and my husband. My husband did take a bad fall but amazingly he did not get injured early on in his stay. Kerri's intervention and approach to keeping him safe worked. He trusted her so when she came on duty she would reinforce his need not to get up. He really internalized that and followed her lead. She is very special and a true credit to the nursing profession.