We experience Nurse Laurie as our charge overnight nurse on Friday. The care she provided can be described as very warm in nature, with a maternalistic demeanor. Soothing personality skills are “rare finds” in the health care and nursing profession; and are valuable assets a nurse should possess. Having a soothing tone combined with a soothing, calm personality as a nurse is crucially important to the patients/families during any hospitalization experience. A soothing tone and calm personality affect everyone including patients, team members, and interdisciplinary colleagues. This attribute exhibited by Nurse Laurie influences how patients may rate their overall experience.

After a very long, brutal hospitalization this past week, Nurse Laurie being one of the last nurses we engaged with prior to discharge “softens” our experiences. Nurse Laurie’s “soft skills” were most observed during every component of the patient encounter, which speaks volumes for quality and expertise. Nurse Laurie exemplified genuine encouragement (emotional), combined with a maternalistic attitude; making our patient encounter cohesive, calm, and welcoming. Nurse Laurie’s demeanor is very soothing. After during/shift change, the patient became very distressed and uncomfortable; causing me to also become distressed. As the patient’s pain elevated, it coupled with agitation. When Nurse Laurie finally walked into the room despite the current discomfort the patient succumbed to, Nurse Laurie spoke as she entered the room. It could have easily been a high-pressured encounter, but instead, the tone and harmonious nature of her serene voice significantly de-escalated the patient. As the patient de-escalated, I also de-escalated (emotionally). Tone and voice are powerful vessels for healthcare providers. When nurses successfully combine control of voice with an irenic tone, the communication exchanged between the patient-nurse can become and evolve into a de-escalated situation no matter the circumstances for all parties involved.

Ultimately, a good (phenomenal) nurse-patient relative communication exchange can be achieved. Nurse Laurie’s soothing personality, maternalistic attitude, and calm voice have relevance to clinical practice. Over the past few years in general health care, statistics have shown a need for improved patient experiences and communication between nurses, patients, and relatives as crucial components for establishing a positive patient encounter; which is a basis for improving healthcare outcomes. I am honored to nominate Nurse Laurie for a DAISY Award. As a nurse, soothing personality skills are “rare finds” in health care. From Nurse Laurie’s serene voice to her calm personality, she exemplified expert experience and exuded confidence in her proficiencies. This may or may not be a result of her years of experience. The patient encounter with Nurse Laurie PROLIFERATED our respect for her AND our TRUST in her abilities. Nurse Laurie made a meaningful difference in our care. The calmness Nurse Laurie exuded was contagious. “Contagious Calmness” is a rare personality quality of alert peacefulness and composure even in circumstances that are very stressful, tense, threatening, or hectic; it overcomes/de-escalates excessively anxious or distressed situations.