Florence Nightingale once said that "Nursing is an art: and if it is to be made an art, it requires an exclusive devotion as hard a preparation as any painter's or sculptor's work". I am writing this to let you know of one of your staff who is truly devoted to the art of nursing.

While medicine can heal the body, the kind of nursing care that Nina gave my wife was of the kind that heals the spirit. Nina's care and compassion was not afforded to "the cancer", but rather to someone she treated as a kindred spirit and friend to someone with whom she made a very real and personal connection.

Over an extended hospital stay away from family and friends, I am confident that your staff is fully aware that the emotional state of a patients swings over the entire spectrum. At one low point, Nina was able to ease my wife's emotional stress by sharing a life experience of her own. She was not afraid to be emotionally vulnerable or divulge a personal experience, and as a result Nina was able to transform my wife's moment of fear and defeat into one of renewed fortitude and determination. Making a personal connection with this kind of power cannot be taught from a text book or injected through an IV line, it must be genuine and delivered from the heart of someone devoted to her calling, to nursing at its very best.

While the care provided by your entire staff to my wife, the compassion and personal care provided by Nina was nothing short of exceptional and is worthy of note. I am sure you will agree that the nursing profession, at its heart, is not about injections, vitals, or dispensing medication, but rather it is about healing a person on all levels with authentic care and compassion - in my observation, Nina represents nursing and The University of Kansas Hospital in the best traditions of both institutions.