Rhea Patel, RN

I am here with a family member who has a rare blood disorder. Over the past 20 years of navigating ER visits during flare-ups, we’ve unfortunately had more difficult experiences than positive ones. It’s rare that we leave feeling truly cared for—but this visit was different, and Rhea was the reason why. From the moment she stepped into the room, she brought not just skill, but heart. She was kind, patient, and incredibly attentive to both the patient's needs and ours as a family. Even though this is a rare condition, and we never expect nurses to know every detail, she was honest about what she wasn’t sure of and took the time to look things up and advocate for the patient's care. That honesty and humility meant the world to us. In all these years, we have never encountered an ER nurse who made us feel as seen and cared for as she did. She went above and beyond in every small and large way, from expertly accessing the patient's power port (something that has caused anxiety with other nurses) to gently scratching the patient's back to soothe the intense itching until the Benadryl kicked in. She never made us feel like we were a burden for asking questions, and her answers were always thoughtful and real. She checked in on us when she could, even just to ask if we were okay. We were stunned to learn that she’s only been a nurse for a year, because what she brought to that room was something you can’t teach. Some people are simply born with the gift to care for others, and Rhea has that gift. This was the first ER visit in two decades that didn’t feel traumatic or rushed; it felt like someone was truly looking out for us. For that, we are deeply grateful.