I had a patient request to speak to me, and as a manager, this typically doesn't go well. This time, however, he wanted to compliment one of the nurses that had taken care of him. It was simple actions that she took, but they meant the world to him.
He has been a patient at Methodist Hospital several times but said he has never come across a nurse that made him feel so cared for. He had gone down to a procedure before Priyanka's shift and when he returned she was in the room waiting for him to arrive. This simple sentiment spoke volumes to him. It showed that she made the time for him and made him feel like she was truly invested in his well-being. It continued the rest of the shift, with her simply checking on him frequently and asking if there was anything she could do for him.
He is an amputee and was in the hospital to have surgery on his foot, which has impacted his ability to get around. He showed me videos of him dancing wearing his prosthesis. He expressed that his limited mobility has gotten him down and made him feel embarrassed. Priyanka "treated him better than family", which helped lift his spirits. He worked in customer service for many years and said she has "something in her that he can't put his finger on," but she made him feel genuinely cared for, acknowledged, and comfortable. It was the patient himself that brought up the desire to nominate her for a DAISY Award.
The DAISY Award is meant to recognize kind and compassionate nurses. Priyanka possesses all of the qualities every time she comes to work. The patient kept repeating to me, the word genuine. This nurse naturally possesses the ability to provide genuine compassionate care. The special thing about this nomination is that Priyanka hasn't even been off orientation for two weeks. She is a brand new PATHWAY program nurse.
On orientation, her preceptor spoke highly of her, and she really connected with her role as a nurse, which became even clearer in this patient's testimony. When I told the patient that she was a brand new nurse, he said that it was not apparent in her confident and competent care. He knows that her future is bright.
As a brand new nurse sometimes it can be difficult to translate this into your care because you are often task-oriented and trying to navigate your way through time management, overwhelming circumstances, and the stress of being a new nurse. She was able to overcome all of this, and still provide exceptional care that the patient considered above and beyond anything he has dealt with in past visits. This made him feel a little more joy during downtime and makes me extremely proud to be Priyanka's manager.