First, this A/B week thing, I think, is pure genius. More than just the continuity of information, I see the bond nurses form with their patients. When my wife was in MICU, not just one or two, but groups of nurses came to visit and check on her condition. Actions like this are much more than just "doing a job". That patient/nurse connection is more than caregiving; it is a trust, a bond that gave my wife great comfort knowing who was caring for her.
During her first transplant and then battle with a complication of transplant, my wife went through a lot. One nurse that I will never forget is Valerie Honeck. As time went along, some of the nurses kind of adopted me, telling me to get something to eat or to go home for a while and sleep. Val, just like the other nurses, was very caring and did an outstanding professional job. What really made an impression on me was on one particularly bad day, I fell apart.
Val comforted me and somehow got me past that point. Maybe it is what they call the "wounded duck syndrome," I don't know. Val's hugs felt like someone would somehow protect me from the horror that was unfolding. That is a debt I can never repay. Maybe it was just luck of the draw for poor Val, but it seemed like every time we hit another speed bump, she was there for both my wife and me. Val was with me the night my wife passed. I owe her a great debt I can never repay. Val will always have a special place in my heart.