I drove from Virginia last night to see my 82-year old-mother who was admitted to the Critical Care Unit at CentraState Medical Center in Freehold, New Jersey, for shortness of breath, anemia, and heart failure. When I entered my mom’s room, I met a nurse named Maya Washington who was tending to my mom. As a physician myself, after spending a full day with my mother, I noticed a number of observations that I wanted to bring to your attention regarding Maya:

Attentiveness - she was administering multiple medications and my mom was asking her lots of questions. Why am I not taking my water pill? Maya replied because you are being given Lasix in its place to reduce the fluid in your legs and body. My mom then asked why she is on a diabetic pill though she has no diabetes. Maya stated that you are taking steroids and that can cause blood sugar to go up and that may be why. Maya reassured my mom and calmed her anxiety that her medications are correct. I saw that attentiveness not only with my mom but also with the other patient in the room tending to her nose bleeds, changing the bed sheets, and cleaning up the neighbor in the room without hesitation. Maya was not just doing her job but doing it with passion and her duties without hesitation.

Being on Lasix, each time my mom needed a bedpan by ringing the call bell, Maya came in a timely manner and assisted her. When my mom was done, Maya asked her if she wanted to clean her and my mom said yes. Each time Maya obliged.

Another family member was bringing in broth for my mom to drink. Maya checked with the food service department and informed me that my mom had a sodium intake restriction and that if my mom wanted soup, she could request it from the hospital in lieu of soup from the outside.

In summary, my observations indicate that Maya is genuinely concerned about the well-being and mental state of her patients tending to their needs. In a climate of mass exodus of nurses and a shortage during the COVID pandemic that is still upon us, it is reassuring to see that compassionate care reigns here at CentraState Medical Center because of people like Maya. We take healthcare for granted, and despite the constraints of the nursing shortage, Maya needs to be commended for the unwavering human touch and dedication she exhibits to her patients. She is an asset to your Critical Care Team and needs to be reminded that what she does on a daily basis is certainly appreciated by this outside visitor here to see his elderly mom. That attitude certainly has an impact on the patient’s road to recovery that words cannot do justice to for it is intangible. Thank you from the depths of my heart, Maya!