My wife stayed in the oncology unit for multiple weeks recently and during her stay, she had this nurse on multiple occasions. From the first time, she engaged my wife and showed an investment in her as a patient that lifted my wife's spirits every time she walked in the door and said she was on duty and had my wife as a patient. She had an uncanny ability to always know what to say, whether it was a description of medication or asking how our children were doing, and it calmed my wife's anxiety and aided in her recovery. She never ceased to work tirelessly until she knew that my wife had everything she needed, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Her level of commitment to comfort, recovery, and care is second to none at Riverbend in our experiences. With the number of nurses we've had and the number of those nurses who excel in their profession in our opinion, being second to none is the highest compliment I can bestow upon her.
The one scenario that stands out to me the most is the most recent stay we had. My wife was admitted to the hospital amid the coronavirus pandemic and naturally, I was asked to leave the hospital after seeing her admitted into her room. This was heart-breaking to us both as we have always stayed together during her previous hospital trips because we are the emotional support system for each other. When it goes wrong, and it has gone wrong a lot in the last couple of years, we grab hold of each other and face down the obstacles. Being apart like that, although understandable due to the circumstances affecting the world, was still extremely difficult. Maggie understood our connection and believed that it would be in the best interest of my wife's recovery if I was authorized to stay in the room with her. She explained what it would mean to my wife with the charge nurse and received authorization for us to reunite and recover. It meant the world to both of us. After so much bad news and hard recoveries and emotional blows, that little authorization to stay cooped up in one room for the foreseeable future was better than a pot of gold. When my wife broke down emotionally, I could be there to hold her hand and help her to come back and keep getting better. She knew what it meant, and she went above and beyond and I truly believe it helped my wife get better quicker than had I not been there. Day after day, she came into our room and did everything she could, and we will never forget the kindness, empathy, and devotion that she showed to both of us and I assume to all of her other patients as well.