Nathan Holan is a great example of the true act of caring for others. I had the opportunity to have Nathan as a preceptor. During this time I witnessed Nathan repeatedly go up and beyond the call of duty as a nurse. One day in particular stands out in my memory.

We were caring for a man that appeared to be down on his luck, homeless and in very bad health. His shoes were many sizes too small and were wet with holes throughout. His socks were drenched and his feet were soiled and waterlogged. The patient reported that he had not taken his shoes off for at least a week. Nathan brought in a bucket of warm soapy water and gently washed his feet and then gave him a pair of clean dry socks. As the man was about to leave, Nathan noticed that he was attempting to put his old wet tattered shoes back on. Nathan knew that if the man put those shoes back on it would become a limiting factor to improving his situation. Without hesitation, Nathan took off the shoes on his own feet and offered them to the gentleman.

Surprised - I looked at him as if to say - now what are you going to do? Nathan quieted my concerned look by replying that he had other shoes in his locker and that it was time for him to buy a new pair anyway. The genuine nature of taking care of people the way that Nathan demonstrates daily cannot go overlooked. This is just one example of what Nathan has brought to Salem Health and to the Emergency Department.

Nathan sacrifices much of his personal time to be involved in SPT, EPIC revisions and EOC - which are all specialty teams to assist in bettering the department as a whole. We are fortunate to have such a person to represent Salem Health.