My dad went to PRMC with what we thought was appendicitis. It turns out he had an abscess in his colon as well as a mass that required surgical intervention. Dad is 84 years old and the last time he was an inpatient in a hospital was in 1964. He has avoided hospitals at every opportunity and, up to this point, has been successful. To say that he was apprehensive about surgery, let alone the recovery and ensuing stay in the hospital.

His first day following surgery was tough, he was having nausea, abdominal pain, and all the normal expected things that go along with an abdominal surgery. Unfortunately, the day shift he had that day was not providing the expected care that the hospital expects of its employees. My dad was very frustrated and upset and was ready to sign out and go home because of this. Lyndsia came in at 7 pm and was a breath of fresh air. She immediately acknowledged my dad's feelings and frustrations and was able to gain his confidence, because she explained to him that she was going to get him up to walk as often as he wished, she was going to take care of the JP drain that was left hanging loose all day, and she addressed his urinary retention following his cath from surgery along with his abdominal pain and nausea. And she did just that. Within about two hours, she had a doctor there to assess his abdomen distention as well as his nausea, she actually did a full assessment which had not been done by the morning shift. She got an order for an in-and-out cath to relieve pressure from retention, and she addressed his pain. She also told him that whenever he wanted to get up and walk throughout the night, she would personally take him walking.

I was so impressed with her. I myself have been in healthcare as a paramedic and now a nurse for 25 years, and she truly has what it takes to be a compassionate and proficient healthcare provider. She came into his room and had a care plan for him. She was able to communicate that care plan effectively to my dad in terms of how he, as a layperson, was able to understand it, and she performed her duties with accuracy and efficiency. What really put her above all others was that she stayed over her end of shift to ensure that his dressing change went as it was supposed to and was done correctly. She truly is what a nurse should be: compassionate, empathetic, patient, has a strong skill set, and is proficient in her care. She is someone who should be celebrated and recognized by her organization as a beacon for what other nurses should strive to be. She definitely did service recovery and renewed both my dad's and our family's confidence in her organization.