I met Ste'onna on the Orthopedic unit as she took over my care as a fresh post-op for a spinal fusion. My memories of my first night are very vague. I do know I was well cared for and it seemed every time I opened my eyes, Ste'onna was there. She has a warm smile, soft voice, and very gentle way of caring for her patients.
I was very fortunate to have her care for me the next two nights. She volunteered to come in the third night so she could care for me. I was so happy to see her. Ste'onna was very quick to bring pain and nausea medications, which was much appreciated. She did all she could to help position me for comfort. I never felt she was in a rush to leave my room or do my care. She stayed with me and kept me company in the middle of the night until my medications started to work.
I have been a nurse for 32 years. Ste'onna is a nurse that I would feel comfortable and very fortunate to have by my side as a co-worker. I will admit, I may have tried to talk her into transferring to my unit.
As both a nurse and a patient, I know that sometimes it's not the extraordinary things that mean the most, but the smallest of comfort measures such as putting lotion on a back, chapstick on lips, positioning for comfort, a clean gown or staying an extra minute just to talk. This is what I remember about Ste'onna, an extraordinary nurse.