Ron is an excellent nurse in every aspect of nursing. He possesses knowledge, skill, and compassion. He didn't just take care of my daughter, he got to know her. He learned how to comfort her and would spend time holding her hand, stroking her hair and gently rock her crib because he knew it would soothe her.
Because Ron knew that I was a former PICU nurse he always made sure that I was informed and in agreement with her care and treatments. He never shied away from sharing his concerns about my daughter with me and her medical team even if to them it may seem to be something minor. He knew that with her, the little things added up to be big things. He also always made sure to ask, "Do you need anything, Mama?" Even when he wasn't her nurse, if he was working, he would check on us.
Ron took time to explain labs and medications that I wasn't as familiar with. He often had a student or a new hire with him for the day and I was able to see how well he educated others. He is a great resource to the CICU team.
Unfortunately, after 4 difficult months, our sweet daughter suffered a critical event that ended her life. Ron was not caring for her that day; however, he responded to the code because he knew it was my daughter. He jumped in to do chest compressions even as I saw tears welling up in his eyes. He had to do whatever he could to help her. I know as nurses that is what we do, we help. But, it gave me comfort to know he cared that much. Afterward, he returned several times to check on me and make sure I was okay.
One day Ron came into work to find out that he had not been reassigned to care for our daughter. He was disappointed because he had taken care of her the day before and he said that on the drive to work that morning he had already planned their day. This spoke volumes to me about what kind of nurse he is.