Rachel Rider, BSN, RN

When I came home from the hospital six days after having a double heart bypass, I was in pain physically and mentally. I felt traumatized, trapped, sad, and scared. I felt as though my life as I knew it was over for me. The nominee came to my house and helped me through the physical and emotional issues of my surgery. Her compassion told me that she understood that the surgery had left physical and emotional pain. She eased my mind by answering my many questions about my incisions, any pain I was feeling, and what I could expect in the future. She never trivialized my emotional pain. Too often in the medical profession, emotional pain is written off as anxiety or not addressed at all. It was encouraging to have someone understand that emotional pain can be crippling. The nominee encouraged me to walk and to eat healthy. She reinforced that my recovery was going well and that I didn't need to worry. I'm now looking forward to life, and the nominee played a significant role in that shift in thinking.