My mother was admitted to Castle after taking an MRI. She spent 3 days in the ICU and had the incredibly good fortune to be under Ryan's care for her first 2 days there. From the start, Ryan's affable personality, kindness, and caring were evident. He took all the time we needed to explain things to us at a time that was both scary and disorienting, as we'd never imagined that my mom's MRI would result in her admission to the hospital, much less the ICU.
Ryan took such great care of my mom during her stay. He was always hard-working, keeping her comfortable and administering her hourly tests with cheer. He possesses the incredible gift of somehow just knowing the right things to say with the right tone at the right time. I attribute this to Ryan's tremendous compassion and empathy for his patients and their families. Even more so, I greatly valued his opinion. He spoke honestly and from the heart, giving his thoughtful impressions, which I appreciated and quickly came to trust.
Just one small example of Ryan's compassion was exhibited when my mom's assigned surgeon was running exceedingly late to see her. Knowing our anxiousness to consult with that doctor, when a man entered the ICU, Ryan immediately looked at me from the nurse's station and nodded 'no.' Walking over, he then quietly confirmed this wasn't our doctor. Later, as soon as another man entered, Ryan looked at me and nodded 'yes,' indicating this was my mom's doctor. These little thoughtful things and many others show Ryan's incredible empathy and caring.
My family and I believe that Ryan exemplifies the Extraordinary Nurse that The DAISY Award seeks to recognize.