I want to recognize a nurse whose name is Khan. The nurse from the previous shift told me I would love him and indeed I did. He was one of the few I saw more than one night in a row and I was deeply grateful for his presence. He seems to really love his work. He always has a smile on his face, and he has a lightness and a presence that brought peace to my mom. He is a joy to be around.

He treated my mother with kindness and compassion and gave her extra attention. He talked to her like someone he knew, and I know this made her feel good. No matter how many times she tried to get out of bed, he never lost patience or lessened his compassion for her. After a few attempts, most nurses gave up trying to keep her in bed and left it to me, which I was willing to do. He never seemed to tire of helping her back to the pillow and tucking her in.

He seemed equally concerned about me. This was positively refreshing for someone suffering from exhaustion, and feeling completely isolated. It most certainly was not under his job description. I left once in the middle of the night to go to the cafeteria. I was exasperated by my mother's endless escape attempts and decided I needed a break before I lost my temper. When I returned about 10 minutes later, she was over the bed rails, on the side of the bed, almost having a completed her mission. Instead of trying to make one more attempt to get her down, I called the nurse so she could see what I was going through and how close she came. She immediately called Khan. I walked away, down by the elevators, and had an emotional meltdown. I simply could not do it anymore. It was 2 am. When I returned a few minutes later, he had a staff member stationed in her chair outside her door. I don't know who she was but we had a chat because her mother experienced the same thing in a rehab, ended up on the floor, and has not walked since. She was only there until Khan could bring his computer and sit outside her door. This was the one and only time I felt comfortable leaving. I was in tears and said I just had to go. He encourage that, but I was concerned that I might not be there when the doctors came in the morning. He explained to me how to find out what information the doctors had provided if I was not there. This allowed me a few extra hours of sleep without worrying about when I got back.

I simply cannot say enough about Khan's attitude, his ability to listen to what the patient's family member had to say, and his compassion, endless patience, and skill in dealing with difficult patients and situations. If I had not been able to go home and sleep that night, I might have ended up in the hospital myself. Although it seems oddly wrong picturing Khan with a bouquet of daisies, he deserves this recognition.