Stephen is exceptional in many ways, from his self-deprecating smile, his easy-going mannerism, his sense of humor, and his caring spirit. He gives his time and attention to his patients wholeheartedly. His compassion and knowledge are evident with both the patients and the families of patients he serves.
Some of you may know that Stephen himself has overcome several health obstacles to continue his career as a nurse and to continue to provide high-quality care to his patients. It is amazing that someone as young as Stephen remained so driven to the career of nursing when his own prognosis was at times guarded and uncertain. His perseverance and dedication to his wellness path were completely driven by his goal to return to his job at St. Joseph Mercy Oakland, as a nurse in the Intensive Care Unit.
Within the past year, Stephen's father, who works for Trinity Health, received a letter from a fellow colleague he had never met. The son of one of Stephen's patients wrote, "my dad, unfortunately, is in the ICU, but fortunately, he is at St. Joseph Oakland. Stephen has been one of the nurses on staff and has been exceptional. He is extremely passionate and hardworking, everything we are looking for in patient care. We hope for a good recovery for my dad, but I wanted to share my gratitude and my compliment of Stephen".
The patient had a life-threatening event and did not do well after surgery. He required the Massive Transfusion Protocol and several other life-saving interventions. Stephen was his nurse on day two. Stephen was extremely generous with his time and attention to both the patient and his family. The son stated, "I never would have known of Stephen's own medical difficulties from the interactions we had and the care Stephen provided".
Stephen shared himself, his family and his story with this patient and the patient's family. The son was not only grateful but also amazed at Stephen's resilience and dedication to nursing. Because of Stephen's attention to detail, his caring nature, and the team of the ICU, this patient made a successful recovery and was able to go home.
Stephen frequently receives compliments from patients and their family members. After transferring a patient out of ICU, the family informed the manager during Leadership Rounds, "Stephen was an exceptional and caring nurse while caring for my sister in ICU." Another patient stated, "He's the best nurse. I feel safe when he's taking care of me". Families and patients feel truly "taken care of" when Stephen is their nurse.