During my hospital stay, Patti was one of the best nurses I have had in my adulthood. I had to have an emergency appendectomy mid-May which had me admitted for two nights. Both days during the day shift, I had the pleasure of having Patti as my nurse.
When Patti started her shift, I remember her coming into my room with the most heartwarming smile while not knowing at first glance I was an employee of GHS. This provided me with a sense of relief as to me, this meant a lot as I knew from that moment, I was in good hands.
In Patti's role, not only did she do her hourly rounding on me every hour, but she also took the time to talk to me and my husband, personally and professionally. If we had questions in regard to the surgery I just had, she took the time to explain what she knew and provided me with as much information as she could, so I knew what to expect when I left the hospital. Personally, we talked about our families, a lot about our children, what we like to do, why she became a nurse, why I am an Administrative Assistant in Nursing Education, along with a few chuckles about us both being red-heads.
The moment I remember vividly that I appreciated Patti for was in the afternoon the day I had the surgery. Because I am stubborn and want to be as strong as possible, I did not request pain meds after my morning dosing post-surgery wore off. There was a moment I had so much pain I was in tears. Patti came to my side immediately like she was almost near tears because I was hurting. It was almost like she knew exactly how my body was feeling. It wasn't much longer, Patti was able to get a dose of pain medications into me to provide relief. She also emphasized to me, I was post-surgery and will be in pain. It's OK to try and push through it but to also stay on top of it as well. There was also a moment where I needed her assistance as I wasn't sure what was happening, and she was right there by my side. She explained everything to me in detail as to what was occurring and assured me everything would be okay.
As an employee of GHS and working indirectly with the nursing staff in my role, I have a good understanding of what our nurses do day in and day out. It can be tough to be on the other side of the spectrum as a patient. I am here to tell you, as a patient, Patti made an emergent situation one of the best hospital stays I've had. Patti is a kind, caring, passionate and heartwarming person and nurse.