ronald smith, RN

Ron's work is truly extraordinary. To me a nurse is someone that takes care of a patient's medical needs well and does so in a way that takes care of the whole person. The nature of Ron's job means that he arrives when patients are scared and at their worst. He not only manages their medical needs, dialoguing with staff to come up with a safe plan and "triaging" the situation, but also takes care of the people themselves.
His demeanor is calming to patients and respectful and honest to staff. He goes above and beyond to make sure that the patient gets what they need, and the staff feels supported. He has no obligation but if he is rounding on a unit to check on focus patients and an alarm is going off, he doesn't hesitate to answer it.
Sometimes Ron would assess the situation and explain medical reasoning why the doctor might not be concerned. Other times he'll advocate for the patient endlessly and explain in such a way that the Hospitalists respond. This is so above and beyond valuable because the nurses visibly relax because they trust that he has the situation in hand and get education, so they'll know more for future situations. It truly is a gift and way beyond the regular expectations that we have of our Rapid Response nurses.