My father was admitted to the hospital for his right knee total replacement surgery, and it was a really big deal for him and us. He was very nervous the whole time he was being admitted to the hospital and the whole week following up to it. Not only was he scared, but we were as well; we just didn’t want to show it because it would make him even more scared. It was our first time going through something this big, and although it’s a pretty common procedure, we couldn’t stop thinking about all the possible outcomes or the “what if’s.”

I remember tearing up seeing him leave for the pre op room because I felt like we were abandoning him or never seeing him again. Two hours passed, and we felt like it took forever to see him, but we finally did, and we were so relieved to see him do well.

We were told our discharge nurse was Kimberly, and I remember right from the start; she introduced herself, and we could immediately feel her joy and welcoming attitude. She had a big smile on her face, and she talked to us so wonderfully. Words are really hard to describe how amazing a person she truly is. Nothing comes close to describing her wonderful self; she did everything in her power to make us all feel at ease and make a smooth transition and recovery.

My father, who doesn’t speak much English, was also very satisfied with her. Kimberly kept a smile on his face and reassured him about how well he did in the operation and everything else after. Kimberly made what seemed to be the hardest part of post op seem so easy. She walked us through everything we might need back at home and gave us helpful tips. She was very attentive to my father’s needs and went above and beyond for us all.

Once my father was discharged from the hospital, we all left with a heavy heart because we felt like we had really made a bond and connection with her. If we could have taken her with us that day, we would!

Kimberly Roberts is a prime example of what a nurse should be and stand for.