The morning of surgery, I accompanied my patient as she was wheeled down the hall to the OR. She was really scared as we approached the OR doors and began to cry. Her friend and fellow cath lab nurse had just said a prayer for her outside the room prior to us taking her in. Cindy and the rest of the OR team waited very patiently while this took place. As the team was getting everything ready and positioning her on the table, she continued to look more and more fearful. I told her to focus on the prayer and know that she was in really good hands with the best team of doctors working on her. Nothing I said seemed to put her at ease. The anesthesiologist offered versed which she refused because she didn't like the way it makes her feel. At this point, I was at a loss for how to help her relax. As the anesthesiologist placed the bag valve mask over her face, she had a look of panic. At this time, Cindy placed her cheek on the patient's cheek and prayed with her. I was in awe.
In the words of the patient, "she had the angelic intuition to pray in my ear while holding my head in her hand as I went off to sleep. Words can't fully describe my appreciation for her attentiveness." Instead of counting off to sleep, she closed her eyes and said the Lord's Prayer with Cindy as she drifted off. It was a truly beautiful moment. I later expressed to Cindy how impressed I was with her ability to put our mutual patient at ease. She said, "It's what I do." Throughout the surgery, I continued to see how meticulous Cindy was in the placement of every limb and wire. She talked about her initiative to prevent pressure sores and skin irritation from cords and tape. She has educated other nurses on placing a patch over the sacrum to prevent pressure sores and placing a barrier between IV lines and the skin. She takes the time to do this before they fall asleep and explains the reasoning behind it to the patient. She continues to take gentle care of each body part when the patient is sleeping.