Alex Rene Castillo has a deep love for his profession and an abiding passion for his patients. I was in the ER with chest pains and high blood pressure and was moved to PCU7. I was scared, terrified, lonely talking to God, my father and all of those who have gone before me, nodding off at some point. I was awakened to be introduced to this nurse. He greeted me by name and I asked to be called by my first name. He smiled and a connection was made. He introduced himself and the team that was on duty with him. He went over my treatment plan explaining in detail the medicines available, the action plan for the day and the fact that I was NPO and what that was and reason why. He explained they were waiting on blood tests and EKG results before proceeding and that if they needed to perform either a stress test or angiogram I could not have food in my stomach. He explained the difference between the two. He explained troponins and what they signified in my blood at certain levels. Each time he delivered meds, he explained what it was for and the side effects.
He changed my life on this day. The MD came to see me and explained I had a heart attack and that he had scheduled an angiogram within the next hour. After he left, I started to cry and there was my nurse, Alex. He pulled up a chair and handed me the diagram of the procedure. He went over it systematically. He helped me understand that knowing was better than not knowing and that the angiogram was the most certain way to know. He showed tremendous empathy in understanding my apprehension with any procedure going through the groin area, truly an example of interpersonal skills that would be a model for the nursing profession. He was right: Knowing Is Better.
He not only establishes a special connection with his patients, but also with their families. He approached my family with a smile and calm demeanor that immediately put them at ease. He articulated in layman’s language the diagnosis of my condition, the procedure I had gone through, the results of that procedure and the prognosis for the future. He is caring, compassionate and intuitive. I would recommend him as a mentor, role model and friend. He is a diamond, true gem for the 7th Floor PCU and great representative of care given at TMMC. Alex deserves the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses.