There are people who show up to do a job who "shine". You can see immediately that they are committed, dedicated, professional, compassionate, precise and intelligent about how they view the situation they are faced with. I recently retired from the federal government as an officer. In my profession, you have to know what's appropriate. You have to think on your feet. It is imperative that you clearly know what your next move will be for the safety of your team, yourself, and the public that you took an oath to protect.
I recently found myself as a patient in the ER and I'm so grateful I got the nurse that I got. Emergency RN Rachel. She asks what brought me in and told me what the next steps would be. She began drawing my blood which was flowing slowly. Rachel explained possible reasons why the blood was moving slow and what she could do instead of re-sticking me. She asked a coworker to assist a minute, explaining to her what she needed to do so she didn't have to cause me more discomfort and re-stick me. She conferred and concurred with her coworker. I said "wow" that was effective and effortless, not to mention painless. She said she'd rather not re-stick a person if she didn't have to.
As I lay there so close to other patients, I could hear her discharging someone. You can't hear a lot, but I could hear the family asking to explain the instructions again because the patient was a little foggy. Rachel took her time. She was thorough clear and patient. She ended by asking her own questions to make sure they were all comfortable with the instructions.
If I needed her she responded immediately. Rachel was also responsible for attending to priority one cases and it was time for her go to that position. She explained that she had to leave and introduced me to my new caretaker. She finished by telling me what would happen in my situation next. I told her I was a patient advocate specific to emergency trauma years ago and that I was impressed with the way she did her job. She said, "I love this job and can't imagine doing anything else". I made a comment to other staff members about how great Rachel was at her job. Every one of them had a big smile and stated how much she lifts them up. They said we love it when she's here and how much we appreciate working with her.
As Rachel was leaving to go to her next station, I saw her stop down the hallway and greet a cleaning lady. She said, "I brought cookies for both am and pm shifts (because she worked both) there are plenty of treats so please help yourself". Everyone in the ER got the gift of Rachel that day. After all, it was Christmas. It is my hope that Rachel is acknowledged for what she brings to Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital's emergency trauma. Thank you!
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I felt very lucky to have had Rachel as my ER nurse. I'm a very hard poke to get an IV and she did a great job at her first try. She made me feel so happy and made me laugh while I was in a lot of pain to help me stay distracted from the situation I was in. I was so lucky to have had her as my nurse. She is a fantastic nurse and an amazing human being.
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She is so intelligent. She made my family feel comfortable, informed and relaxed. She explained every procedure and answered all our questions. She is very accommodating. Beautiful spirit. Thank you!