I was admitted after contracting COVID-19 which developed into pneumonia. I was very poorly on admission before being transferred the following day to Ward 53 isolated COVID bay. It’s very lonely, daunting, and secluded when you see the same 4 walls every day, only being able to go as far as the bathroom in the bay and the only people you can see are the nurses and doctors daily, not loved ones. Raquel stood out instantly the first shift she came on during my admission, filling the bay with her infectious smile, witty humor, and incredibly caring approach. She made me feel so much more at ease and eliminated the majority of my anxieties, probably without realizing it. She would enter the bay when needed for obs./drug rounds and they quickly became the most enjoyable part of the day. Those little conversations and giggles when doing obs make the world of difference to the long lonely days as a patient in these isolation bays, they are what made it bearable and would leave you smiling when she left.

Nothing was ever too much for her, often doing tasks Health Care Assistance's would normally undertake (assisting with washes, changing, feeding, etc.) due to shortness of staff, and never once did she seem disgruntled, stressed, or even complain she was tired when you could clearly see she ran round for the entirety of her shift. Not only is she an absolute asset to UHCW as a nurse, but she also is an absolutely devoted mum to her 2 beautiful boys who were at home with her husband while she was working long hours in COVID areas; she regularly shared stories of funny things they had said the night before, or how they helped her cook dinner, etc. I mention her being an incredible mother because it shows her beyond describable levels of dedication and compassion/care she has for her job. During these uncertain times, to miss special moments with her two boys to come and work in environments that could make her sick proves what an angel of a person she is. She would enter the bay and when she left your jaw would ache from smiling and giggling and I cannot put into words how valued this was as a patient to have that level of care and comfort from the nurse caring for us.

If you asked for PRN medication, it was never too much trouble and you would have it as soon as she physically could, she would never make you feel a burden for asking for anything. I want to mention I am a member of staff at UHCW (never met or had any encounters with Raquel outside of this admission, also want to mention Raquel did not know I was a member of staff until the very last minute of my stay and her care with me was the exact same with every other patient in our bay, so it wasn't that she knew I worked here) and to know we have nurses like this within our trust, makes you even more proud to work here. I hope Raquel goes far in life and achieves everything she sets her heart to do in her career. Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart for making every day bearable and taking that sadness, depression, and loneliness from being isolated away.