Nurse Daranee Thapanawongwech has been an intensive care unit registered nurse at Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital for 4 years. Her superior competence and ability to care for complex and critically ill patients in intensive care unit is undeniable. Nurse Daranee's excellence in provision of nursing care, thoroughness, and ability to work as team has let her to be appointed as the department's Medication Coordinator Nurse, representing the department in various hospital-wide committees in order to further communicate the messages to all the nurses in ICU to ensure of higher quality of care with evidence-based practice leading to the safety of all patients. When caring for the patients, Nurse Daranee is definitely one of the most patient persons in the hospital. She would always attentively listen to the patients and their families regardless of their concerns, their fears, their sadness and despair, or even when the patients and family members are filled with happiness and joy. Even though the problems may not be in relation to her duty in ICU, Nurse Daranee would never stop for a second to consider helping them; instead, she would willingly extend her hands out to help the patients and family members to ease their pain and suffering whether it will be by sitting down and talking with them, providing medical information, or just simply telling funny stories to make them laugh and lightening up their moods. Her colleagues even said that there were many occasions when she was supposed to finish her shift but Nurse Daranee would stay longer, sitting with the patients, holding their hands and staying by their sides until they are calmer, more comfortable and feeling safe.
Being in the hospital can be frightening to the patient, but also the family members as well. Often time, the family members are left clueless of the current situation. Nurse Daranee is well aware of this fact. She would always willingly approach the family members and provide information on patient's status so that they would feel more at ease and less worried about their loved ones. There were many occasions where the family members or the patients would express to the unit manager or the house supervisor their appreciations and gratefulness for Nurse Daranee's genuine kindness towards the others and that she is simply an angel for all the patients in ICU. One family member said:
"if all the patients in the world are cared for by an angel like Nurse Daranee, everyone would feel entrusted, safe, and confident in the love and care provided to their loved ones without any doubt or worriedness. She was the light shining through the darkness for us when we were lost and scared. From the bottom of our hearts, we're truly thankful to have such a loving person cared for our beloved father."
Due to Nurse Daranee's nature of being kind, cheerful and genuine towards everyone, she has been entrusted with the task of mentoring new nurses joining the team in ICU because not only she was a competent nurse, Nurse Daranee is also an excellent teacher and a role model for all ICU nurses. Her colleagues and the nursing service organization committee have chosen Nurse Daranee to be an extraordinary nurse of the year for two consecutive years because of her attentive to patients, excellent in nursing care, and constant helpfulness. She has received numerous praises and formal compliments. Her empathy for her patients combined with 19 years-worth of ICU experience and leadership have made her a loving nurse that everyone in the department has looked up to. Many people have asked Nurse Daranee in the past whether she was ever tired and exhausted of caring for patients in ICU. She would smile and say,
"I have never been nor will I ever be tired of caring for my patients. It's my pride and joy being a part of the nursing profession, which has allowed me to care for and help the patients during crisis so that they can return to their loved ones. I love seeing their smiling faces. Their happiness makes my heart filled with joy and hope. We see terrible things in this world everyday but we nurses are the living proof that there are still love and kindness in this world that other people can still look forward to. It was my intention to join the nurse force and let me tell you this. I never regretted that decision.