Rebekah comes to work each shift and is a walking example of the Orlando Health PROMISE standards. She delivers exceptional care to the patients she has the honor to care for. One day while I was in charge, she was caring for a patient who was admitted for a stroke. The patient lived by himself in Daytona, no family in the area, limited friends, with no mode of transportation. He was originally at the VA Hospital for an outpatient procedure, had complications and was transferred to our unit for a stroke. On the day of discharge the patient expressed to his nurse, that he had no means of transportation to go home. He was a retired Veteran, lived off disability compensation and didn't drive. He informed her that the VA set up shuttle transportation from Daytona to Orlando for his procedure. She went through every channel and resource to assist this patient to get home. The patient was alert, oriented and with no neuro deficits so Rebekah decided to call guest services to set up a cab. However, because he lived outside of Orlando, the hospital would not pay for the cab fare. She then thought to contact her mother, who works for the VA, to see if she could assist with setting up some type of transport. However at this time it was past 5 o'clock and the shuttle stopped running. The patient was out of options and asked "I know you can't take me all the way home, but would your hospital be willing to pay for a cab to the VA hospital. I can sleep in the lobby, and then tomorrow morning when the shuttle starts running, I'll get a ride home." Those words devastated Rebekah. She expressed to me how gracious this patient was all day and even during leadership rounds the patient apologized to me for not having a ride home. He verbalized that knows there are sick patients that need his room and our care. Rebekah informed me that she was determined to find him a safe way home, that didn't include him sleeping in the lobby at the VA hospital. She expressed to a nurse on the unit that she was going to pay for an Uber to get her patient home. That nurse and many others heard what was going on and offered to contribute to his Uber fare. Before we knew it, the entire team put money together to the pay for an Uber to take this patient home. When she went into the room and told the patient we found him a ride home, he broke down in tears. He was insisting that we take the few dollars he had to his name, but she refused and reminded him that it is her duty to take care of him. He was so appreciative to everyone who helped him get a ride home and honored to have such a phenomenal nurse.
Another day, a patient's family came to the nurse's station with "goodies" for Rebekah. They wanted to extend their gratitude towards her for caring for their mother. The family stated this nurse's care, compassion and empathy were contagious. She is an admirable nurse who exemplifies a true DAISY Nurse.