I was a patient on the transplant unit where I received a kidney transplant along with bilateral native nephrectomies and my husband was my donor. It was the first time I was in the hospital, other than the birth of my children. As an RN myself, I was very apprehensive about being in the hospital. Being on the opposite end of the spectrum was difficult, strange, and new to me. I would like to thank one extraordinary nurse who provided exceptional care.
After an eight-hour surgery, I arrived on the floor and my RN was Mary LaVigne. She was absolutely amazing! That first night was hands down the most difficult and miserable night of my life ever. Mary was caring, compassionate, professional, and competent in all aspects of care. My vitals and urine output monitoring were every hour for 24 hours and that first 8 hours, Mary was in my room like clockwork every hour on the hour. I was in a lot of pain and she did everything she could to help me, acting with patience and kindness. With her, I never felt like I was bothering her.
Mary anticipated my needs before I even knew what I needed. She always had a smile on her face and acted as though she had plenty of time for me. I knew the floor was very busy that night and she had plenty of other patients, however, not for one second did she appear hurried. As a nurse, I was nervous and anxious because I wanted nothing more than that new kidney to work like crazy with no complications. Mary kept me updated on my blood pressure and output each time it was taken, reassuring me that things were moving along well and the kidney was working. She was so amazing.
I came up to the floor on that Thursday night, and unfortunately, she was heading into her weekend off. On Monday evening when she returned, she came back to my room to check on me and see how I was doing. She brought with her that infectious smile and gave me a hug. What an exceptional nurse she is. I feel it is very important to recognize someone who is exceptional! She provided care that made me feel like it was all about me, taking the extra time to provide service excellence. She responded with compassion, clinical competence, and integrity. I can never thank her enough for what she did for me that first night on the floor. She has set the bar high. She is a true DAISY Nurse!