I wanted to take a moment to recognize your nurse, Lauren. She was my nurse on Friday when I came for my breast biopsy, and she was truly amazing.
I think all patients come to us expecting clinical competence, and Lauren did all the things I would expect her to do. She efficiently got me ready for surgery, acknowledged my pre-op headache and did all she could to help keep me comfortable while we waited, kept us informed about who would be in, and shared the plan for the afternoon. But, it was all the non-clinical things that Lauren did to show compassion that set her apart as exceptional.
Given the nature of my procedure, my husband and I came in extremely preoccupied and nervous. Lauren took a little time to get to know us as people and also shared about herself. She made us feel comfortable and she also distracted us when we most needed a distraction. She balanced this perfectly with professionalism as well as my need to test. Lauren's shift ended before I went to the OR, and when she said goodbye, she said she'd be thinking about me over the weekend, and I thanked her. Then she stopped, looked me in the eye, and took another moment to say, "no really, I will be thinking about you", and she followed it with a hug that I didn't even know I needed.
At a time when I have never been so terrified for my health, she got me through a very difficult day. She made me feel like a person, not just a patient, and I am truly grateful for her kindness.
I sincerely thank her and want her to know that I got my negative biopsy results last night!