My mother's surgery was delayed by more than 5 hours, causing anxiety for her and frustration for my father. It was so heartwarming to witness the genuine care and compassion Sarah provided my parents during our preop wait. She attended to my mother as if she was tending to her own family- making sure she was warm enough, giving her extra neck support when her back hurt, and sharing funny stories to occupy her mind and settle her nerves.

As time slowly passed, my parents became more and more agitated. My mother began to feel anxious. My father began to pace the preop hall and question staff aggressively about why we were still waiting. It quickly became a stressful scene, but Sarah maintained calm and took action to diffuse the situation. She immediately contacted the Anesthesiologist for approval to give my mother meds to calm her anxiety. To help her settle even more, Sarah found YouTube videos with soothing ocean scenes and sounds. But Sarah felt she could do more! She left my mother's bedside and returned with an aromatherapy pad to add an extra special, loving level of comfort to the anti-anxiety care she seemed determined to provide. She then turned to my father and said with a sincere smile, "Let me see what I can find out about Dr.S's progress so we can try to get an update for you." She maintained constant communication with us about what was happening. She showed true care and compassion when her patient was struggling to stay calm. She displayed tireless effort to make my mother and father comfortable and reassured when they became distressed. If there was ever a prime example of what a Nurse can do to make the best of a bad situation, Sarah is it. She has chosen the right profession and really makes a difference for her patients and their families. Thank you, Sarah!