I would like to commend and thank Stephen Jakeman for the care that he provided to one of our patients recently. T L is an unfortunate 49 year old man who is afflicted by a rare and progressive disorder that has left him blind, deaf, ataxic, and demented. He came to UVA for oral surgery via ambulance from a local nursing home/rehab facility. He was restless and agitated when he was brought to SAS (in restraints), and became combative any time I tried to touch him. The best I could do was apply his name-band to his ankle. The rest of his information was collected from his chart and by talking to his parents. In general, T L was unkempt. His clothes were dirty, he smelled of urine and body odor, and he wore a wet diaper. Further attempts to prepare him for surgery were unsuccessful.

I spoke with Stephen and told him that T L would have to come to the OR without an IV and with his clothes on. I told him I would send cleansing wipes, a gown and a diaper along, and apologized for the inconvenience. Stephen's response was, "Don't worry, I'll take care of him".

After T L was anesthetized, he was given a good bath (probably his first in a long time). Stephen later told me that the patient's groins and armpits were severely excoriated, and so he got an order for Greer's Goo which he applied liberally. He also trimmed T L's nails before he woke up. What Stephen did for this patient goes above and beyond an OR nurse's role. He demonstrated compassion to a needy patient and awesome team spirit to his peers. Thank you Stephen!