My mom is one of those mothers who has always taken care of others and put herself on the back burner. She is impossible to get to go to the doctor and has extreme white coat syndrome and a phobia of needles. She has been having finger pain for about 2 months and it was gradually worsening and very concerning. It was beyond frustrating to see my mom hurting and possibly have an infection, but continue to refuse to seek treatment. She finally agreed to let me take her to be seen tonight. I took her to Southeast and am so glad I did.

She was crying in the parking lot truly scared to go in. We were met by Lindsay in the lobby, who immediately made my mom feel like she mattered and like her fear was understood and respected. She saw her through triage, put us in a room, and took the time to chat with my mom, letting her know each step and who to expect. We went in with a blood pressure of 220/88 and left with a blood pressure of 170/82… simply from the effects of great quality patient care.

So many nurses forget what is truly at the heart of being a nurse— compassion. Lindsay demonstrated kindness and compassion from the moment we arrived until the end of her shift. Her impact on my mom was tremendous and perhaps life-changing, as my mom reported that she “wouldn’t mind seeing healthcare providers who treated me like Lindsay did.” So, thank you Lindsay for your patience, understanding, kindness, and compassion that you had with my mom tonight. She nor I will ever forget the way you made her feel.