Sydney was the nurse who cared for my boyfriend's father in the ICU after an invasive and scary surgery. A week later, we are still talking about how wonderful she was to not only him -- her patient -- but to all of his visitors... and there were a lot!

She was attentive to his needs and made sure he never had to ask for anything; she was two steps ahead of him ever having to do that. Every time she came into the room, she addressed him by his first name, making him feel like a person, vs. solely another one of her patients. When he did have questions, she was calm and thoughtful in her responses, making sure that he understood the "why" of everything the staff was doing, or how he was feeling.

When he was feeling a little more down than usual, she offered to take him to the healing gardens and invited us to join. She was sweet, patient, and made him laugh while not rushing the much-needed break.

Sydney also took the time to talk with the loved ones there for him in a polite and friendly manner. She never flinched at a question, she offered solutions, and she made sure everyone was comfortable with his care. She also kept it light by intermittently telling funny jokes to keep everyone smiling. Sydney is the epitome of what a caretaker should be. We were all honestly disappointed when we learned she had a day off, albeit well-deserved on her part.

Thank you for the opportunity to sing her praises -- I hope many others have done the same. She is a delight and an exceptional nurse whom we hope to see again... under better circumstances, of course.