Yonah Solomon
September 2020
Yonah
Solomon
,
RN
Oncology
Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center
Burbank
,
CA
United States
My fiancé and I first met Yonah on the 6th floor Oncology unit when I was admitted for osteomyelitis in my neck. We were frightened by the diagnosis and my pain. Yonah appeared a few days into my stay, and he did just as much for my fiancé's overall well being as he did for mine. He had many patients, but he made me feel like I was the only one. We are not Jewish, but I had recently completed a course that was a deep dive into Judaism. Yonah was a Rabbi, and his knowledge of the Torah and our discussions about God were more useful to me than the pain meds in many instances. His warmth and genuine concern for my well being left a lasting impression.
Two weeks after my discharge, I ended up back in the hospital, but on the 7th floor. By a fluke, Yonah had been sent to the 7th floor and I was one of his patients. He not only remembered me and my fiancé, but he remembered my discharge information. Yonah's memory and knowledge of my condition saved me. He remembered how my pain would come on and he remembered our unique system for staying ahead of my pain, resulting in smaller and fewer doses of pain medication. He was that attentive. He made my experience better than it had been. Not only that, but the hospital was maxed out with patients and Yonah had his hands full. I noticed that the nurse's desk (my room was situated at the desk) relied heavily on Yonah to cover patients outside his own. Yonah likely was the first to respond to patient calls because I know that nursing and caring for others is not an occupation for him, it is a calling. He takes his work very seriously. For as busy and as crazy as his shift was, he always came running to my room when I needed him, and each time he did, he did it with a smile. He made me feel as cared for and as important to him as a family member. I never waited more than a few minutes. Yonah is adept. He is compassionate. He wants to make a difference in his patients' recoveries. Not every person who enters nursing enters with these pure motives, or they seem to get lost in all the chaos of caring for those who are often at their very worst and desperate. He left a lasting and warm impression on me and my fiancé. Without him, my recovery might not have been so positive!
Two weeks after my discharge, I ended up back in the hospital, but on the 7th floor. By a fluke, Yonah had been sent to the 7th floor and I was one of his patients. He not only remembered me and my fiancé, but he remembered my discharge information. Yonah's memory and knowledge of my condition saved me. He remembered how my pain would come on and he remembered our unique system for staying ahead of my pain, resulting in smaller and fewer doses of pain medication. He was that attentive. He made my experience better than it had been. Not only that, but the hospital was maxed out with patients and Yonah had his hands full. I noticed that the nurse's desk (my room was situated at the desk) relied heavily on Yonah to cover patients outside his own. Yonah likely was the first to respond to patient calls because I know that nursing and caring for others is not an occupation for him, it is a calling. He takes his work very seriously. For as busy and as crazy as his shift was, he always came running to my room when I needed him, and each time he did, he did it with a smile. He made me feel as cared for and as important to him as a family member. I never waited more than a few minutes. Yonah is adept. He is compassionate. He wants to make a difference in his patients' recoveries. Not every person who enters nursing enters with these pure motives, or they seem to get lost in all the chaos of caring for those who are often at their very worst and desperate. He left a lasting and warm impression on me and my fiancé. Without him, my recovery might not have been so positive!