Maria Kelly, RN

Maria was assigned a patient who was hard of hearing. Upon entering the room, Maria knew the patient was shy and standoffish. When the patient didn't warm up after a few minutes of interaction, Maria asked the mother if the patient knew sign language. Maria turned back to the patient and began talking while signing. The patient lit up! She was nodding and answering questions. She wanted to play, and her favorite toy was Play-Doh. Maria built an instant bond with the patient. In the days prior, the patient took multiple nurses and several hours to do simple tasks like taking medication. For Maria, all tasks became easy. The patient trusted her.