While performing leadership rounding on 3 West, I entered the room of a patient who was very familiar to all of us because of his story. In the summer, we bonded with him because his sister was a patient of ours and he visited daily and would always share stories of their childhood together to all staff who came into contact with them.
The patient (brother) was admitted to 3 West and he notified all of us that his sister passed away the day prior to him being admitted. He was very tearful and depressed for most of his stay because of her death and because they were so close.
However, when I entered his room on this particular day, I noticed that he had a haircut since the day prior and had a huge smile on his face. As I spoke with him and complimented on how well he looked, he explained to me that Angela Miller, RN, cut his hair for him and also brought him a box of hot chocolate. He went on to tell me that she spent a lot of time with him and that she truly made a difference. The days after that he told everyone this story and also told everyone who entered his room about his hair cut that he so badly needed.
I nominate Angela for the compassionate care that she provided to this patient. She did not know him as well as most of us because she had just joined the 3 West Team and I might add that she was still on orientation. She took such great care of him and made a difference in his outlook after the loss of his sister. She truly is an example of providing excellent care!