Randy Rice
April 2020
Randy
Rice
,
MBA, BSN, RN, RN-BC
Emergency Department
Arkansas Children's Hospital
Randy always made sure to connect, even briefly, with his patient while dropping comedic lines using his dry humor to set a nervous mom's heart at ease, if only for a minute.
As an ACH RN for 21 years, I still find it very difficult when I am on the other side. I found myself on the other side in the ER with my daughter. I know my daughter could not have received more compassionate excellent care anywhere in the world. She was critically ill, and our world was completely shaken.
Randy worked fast to warm her up with the bear blanket and provided comfort with a stuffed dog he named Taco. He helped keep her and me calm. I was struggling and found myself curled up in a ball on the floor of the ER bathroom desperately begging God to heal my child. Randy was the calm in our storm. My daughter was inpatient for the next 43 nights and Randy was asked to visit and with great big smiles and hearts full of compassion he and another nurse both frequently would come into their night shifts to stop by and spend some much appreciated time with her. They saved my child and provided more compassion than words could possibly describe. Thank you both with my entire heart, you deserve so much for your excellent patient care. Forever grateful. Love you all.
***
I was jaded. I had had one too many negative medical experiences in recent months and with the COVID crisis, I was starting to focus on all the negative ways it had seemed to manifest in people and society. Randy was the first connection we made here. He put me back on the path to trusting the entire staff and healthcare team here.
At another ER in recent weeks, during an unrelated issue, my son's breathing had become labored and I didn't notice at first because I was walking behind him, and he was wearing a mask. I told Randy he was thinking that day there was a chance he could die, and I didn't realize it at first. Randy locked eyes with my son and said, "You're not gonna die on my watch." My son's face relaxed and he nodded. We had no idea at the time that his appendix would later rupture in the hospital but would be terribly difficult to diagnose because he did not present in the normal ways.
Randy sat down across from me and really listened as I trudged through the many odd symptoms and things that could possibly be causing my son's illness. He went above and beyond like taking extra blood when he started an IV and setting it aside just in case. It was later needed and even more had to be drawn. He worked fast and hard but never became clinical. He always made sure to connect, even briefly, with his patient while dropping comedic lines using his dry humor to set a nervous mom's heart at ease, if only for a minute. In a sea of wonderful caring people, Randy stood out and we are forever grateful.
Randy worked fast to warm her up with the bear blanket and provided comfort with a stuffed dog he named Taco. He helped keep her and me calm. I was struggling and found myself curled up in a ball on the floor of the ER bathroom desperately begging God to heal my child. Randy was the calm in our storm. My daughter was inpatient for the next 43 nights and Randy was asked to visit and with great big smiles and hearts full of compassion he and another nurse both frequently would come into their night shifts to stop by and spend some much appreciated time with her. They saved my child and provided more compassion than words could possibly describe. Thank you both with my entire heart, you deserve so much for your excellent patient care. Forever grateful. Love you all.
***
I was jaded. I had had one too many negative medical experiences in recent months and with the COVID crisis, I was starting to focus on all the negative ways it had seemed to manifest in people and society. Randy was the first connection we made here. He put me back on the path to trusting the entire staff and healthcare team here.
At another ER in recent weeks, during an unrelated issue, my son's breathing had become labored and I didn't notice at first because I was walking behind him, and he was wearing a mask. I told Randy he was thinking that day there was a chance he could die, and I didn't realize it at first. Randy locked eyes with my son and said, "You're not gonna die on my watch." My son's face relaxed and he nodded. We had no idea at the time that his appendix would later rupture in the hospital but would be terribly difficult to diagnose because he did not present in the normal ways.
Randy sat down across from me and really listened as I trudged through the many odd symptoms and things that could possibly be causing my son's illness. He went above and beyond like taking extra blood when he started an IV and setting it aside just in case. It was later needed and even more had to be drawn. He worked fast and hard but never became clinical. He always made sure to connect, even briefly, with his patient while dropping comedic lines using his dry humor to set a nervous mom's heart at ease, if only for a minute. In a sea of wonderful caring people, Randy stood out and we are forever grateful.