I recently received a phone message from a patient who had recently been through the ED and then admitted as an inpatient at OHH. This patient wanted to tell me about the extraordinary care that she received from Sean Garrison, RN, OHH ED. The voice message was so long that it was actually in two parts. It started with, "Sean Garrison is the best nurse ever."
The patient explained that she arrived in the ED alone and that she had no family or friends for the ED staff to call. The patient stated that she was very scared and that throughout her stay in the ED Sean was very attentive and spent extra time with her because he could see how alone she was. When it was time to move her to an inpatient room Sean took her to the room himself and made sure she was settled in. He promised to come back to see her the next day.
The patient was very surprised when Sean came to her room the next day. He told her that he had shared some of her story with his wife and that his wife said that she would pray for the patient. Sean also brought in a drawing that his daughter made for the patient. At this point in the phone message the patient began to cry, she said that she had never been so touched by another person in her life. It meant a lot that Sean thought enough of her to talk to his family about her. "I felt like a part of a family, their family, for a little while, and for someone who does not have a family that means a lot." The patient went on to say that the picture that Sean's daughter drew for her hangs on her refrigerator and is one of her most prized possessions.