Sean Virginia
May 2022
Sean
Virginia
,
BSN, RN
6 North, Neuroscience
Crouse Hospital
Syracuse
,
NY
United States
The next evening, Sean came to my room and handed me a box of Puff’s tissues he had brought in for me.
I was admitted to Crouse Hospital after suffering a right frontal lobe cerebrovascular accident. Having never been admitted to the hospital besides to have my children, let alone emergently, this was so very scary and catastrophic to me. After all of the medical workup and diagnosis, I was transferred and admitted to 6 North. This is where my journey to recovery was to begin. I hadn’t met Sean directly yet but observed him coming into my room to care for my roommate. He was so kind and caring to her. I have worked at Crouse Hospital for 41 years in a supportive role on a different unit, never thinking I would be on the other side of things.
My mind was whirling about recovery, what was happening to my body, and how or if I would be able to return to work. But one night when Sean was assigned to me, that anxiety seemed to subside a little. His compassionate care and extreme professionalism were above and beyond what I expected from this experience. Our conversations consisted of everything from home to being an employee and being a patient at Crouse. His explanation of a “Loop Recorder” helped me to understand the need for it. His passion for neuroscience and nursing was evident in his ability to help me begin to understand what was happening to me. Simply put, he took the time to put his patient first.
The next evening, Sean came to my room and handed me a box of Puff’s tissues he had brought in for me. This had to do with a previous conversation we had about the roughness of the hospital tissues. This brought me to tears, it touched me so deeply. To him, a caregiver, it was a simple act of kindness. To me, a patient who had lost so much independence, it was an amazing feeling of comfort, respect, compassion, and the knowing that I was truly being cared for. Sean’s commitment to his coworkers was also demonstrated by his willingness to help and support the dynamic 6 North team he is a part of. Being a relief charge nurse is an example of that.
When asked a question or for help by a coworker, he would respectfully excuse himself and help with the task at hand. I see Sean as an excellent mentor and role model to many that are joining the nursing profession. This is not just a story of a box of Puff’s tissues. It is about a true professional who went above and beyond to treat a patient as if they were family with respect, dignity, and kindness. So it is with utmost pride that I am able to call Sean not only a coworker, but an extraordinary nurse, a caregiver with true compassion, and I am so thankful and grateful to have been in his care.
Thank you, Sean, for helping me to begin my journey of healing!
My mind was whirling about recovery, what was happening to my body, and how or if I would be able to return to work. But one night when Sean was assigned to me, that anxiety seemed to subside a little. His compassionate care and extreme professionalism were above and beyond what I expected from this experience. Our conversations consisted of everything from home to being an employee and being a patient at Crouse. His explanation of a “Loop Recorder” helped me to understand the need for it. His passion for neuroscience and nursing was evident in his ability to help me begin to understand what was happening to me. Simply put, he took the time to put his patient first.
The next evening, Sean came to my room and handed me a box of Puff’s tissues he had brought in for me. This had to do with a previous conversation we had about the roughness of the hospital tissues. This brought me to tears, it touched me so deeply. To him, a caregiver, it was a simple act of kindness. To me, a patient who had lost so much independence, it was an amazing feeling of comfort, respect, compassion, and the knowing that I was truly being cared for. Sean’s commitment to his coworkers was also demonstrated by his willingness to help and support the dynamic 6 North team he is a part of. Being a relief charge nurse is an example of that.
When asked a question or for help by a coworker, he would respectfully excuse himself and help with the task at hand. I see Sean as an excellent mentor and role model to many that are joining the nursing profession. This is not just a story of a box of Puff’s tissues. It is about a true professional who went above and beyond to treat a patient as if they were family with respect, dignity, and kindness. So it is with utmost pride that I am able to call Sean not only a coworker, but an extraordinary nurse, a caregiver with true compassion, and I am so thankful and grateful to have been in his care.
Thank you, Sean, for helping me to begin my journey of healing!