I would like to tell you about an exceptional nurse you have on staff, Melinda. My daughter has been in Baptist for most of the last 5 months, part of it waiting for a transplant and part for follow up and treatment of some injuries. Melinda has used her knowledge and her medical training (which is outstanding) but even more, she has made the long stay bearable for my daughter. Melinda has a way of talking with her patient that makes them understand the real need for the difficult treatment they must endure. She uses her humor to make them smile through their tears and gives them a hug for being so brave. She is the example each nurse shall follow and even though Baptist has so many wonderful nurses, Melinda stands out as a shining example of what each nurse should strive for. Many times my daughter would be in tears and shaking from the pain and Melinda would come in and soothe her with a few kind words and maybe a little story or something humorous to get her to calm down and know that she could get through the ordeal of the next few hours. Her treatment of our daughter made the stay so much easier for us as her parents and relieved a lot of stress on our part. I think we will always remember this caring and kind nurse and hope that we will have someone like her if we are ever in need ourselves.