Terri Wambua, BSN, RN

This nurse was the primary caregiver for a patient on our unit who had recently arrived from Congo. The patient was severely malnourished and would only eat foods familiar to his home region. Because this nurse is from Kenya and speaks Swahili, she was able to build a strong and meaningful connection with him. Recognizing the importance of culturally familiar food to the patient’s recovery, the nurse located the patient’s wife’s phone number and reached out to her to see if she could bring a home‑cooked meal. The wife was more than willing, but she did not have transportation to the hospital. Without hesitation, and despite an already busy shift, the nurse arranged and personally paid for an Uber to bring the wife to the bedside. Throughout the process, this nurse managed communication with both the Uber driver and the patient’s wife to ensure everything went smoothly. Thanks to their efforts, the patient was able to enjoy homemade food throughout the weekend. This nurse consistently demonstrates compassion in every shift, but in this instance, they went far beyond expectations to ensure their patient’s nutritional needs were met and that he received the comfort of familiar food from home.