This is a nurse that started off as a PCA and has grown to be a nurse. This is a nurse who leads by example, an exceptional role model to her peers. I have seen her compassion when she comes on the unit and looks for our patients' names to see if they are still here and inquires about them when they are not. She is a nurse who demonstrates her love by visiting patients who are not hers. For example, she bought a teddy bear off Amazon, dressed in scrubs with a stethoscope and badge that sings "I'll be there" for a patient who had been with us seven months. She also brought a cafeteria gift card to a patient's family member who could not afford food and stayed off and on at bedside because the gas money back and forth was too costly. This is also a nurse who has cried with patients, prayed with patients and on her lunch break time takes the time to let them know she cares. She is loving and kind and always smiles. She is devoted to her patients and nursing and I am blessed to work alongside her.
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Rocio is a person who gives care for each of her patients as if they are her own family members. She laughs and cries with her patients and cares for each and every one of them with love. For instance, a patient was in the hospital for some time. Her husband stayed at beside every day. He could not go back and forth to their home as the patient lived far from the hospital. They also had a limited amount of funds and the husband was often left without meals. Although the hospital was able to provide a limited amount of assistance, Rocio took her own money and bought a gift card so that the husband could eat. She cares about the whole person. Rocio has also spent her own time and money to provide a smile for one of our patients. This patient had been on the unit for a long time, 6+ months. Rocio had a little bond that she and the patient shared. She sang a song for the patient that shared a moment they had in the hospital together. On her own time, Rocio bought the patient a bear that was dressed as a little nurse and sang the song that the patient and she had shared. It would have no meaning to someone else, but to her and that patient it meant everything. Rocio always wants nothing more than for her patients to be comfortable. Rocio heard that her patient really wanted to just read the newspaper or magazine. She went downstairs on her break and purchased a magazine from the gift store. The patient was so grateful.
She knows how it feels to be on the other side of the health care field and I feel that makes her compassion even greater. Her heart is so big and her smile brings smiles. She is a wonderful human, nurse, mother, and friend. Although I am not a patient, I can recognize exceptional care when I see it.