I was a patient here in January, which I can honestly say was the scariest time of my life. I thought I was going to die! All staff was great from the doctor in the ER promising me I was not having a heart attack to the CNAs checking on me at least hourly. Then there was the one nurse who really took the time to get to know me a little, made every effort to make me feel safe and most importantly, who listened! Vanessa came into my room introducing herself, very positive always and explaining everything she was doing, from labeling all my tubing to make sure I got all my meds right to explaining how my meds worked together. To me, this is what makes patients feel safe and like you are being treated like a family member. I was in the most vulnerable days of my life and I felt like I had a friend caring for me, and this is a person I had never met before. For her to make me feel this way (safe) really made me appreciate her most!
I remember telling Vanessa I had a migraine that really only goes away with Excedrin. I couldn't have caffeine so no Excedrin for me! Vanessa said no worries, and quickly brought me an ice pack for my neck and some heat pads for my feet. She had me sit at the edge of the bed with my feet on the heat pads and the ice pack on the back of my neck for 15 minutes. Well, the migraine went away! I mean who does this? Who goes the extra mile for a patient they might not ever see again? Vanessa did! And I tell everyone I can about her and her migraine miracle! I can't thank her enough but I do hope this nomination is a start! Thanks, Vanessa!