As I was leaving the University of Maryland Medical Center recently, I heard a very happy voice encouraging a patient into a van with such compassion that I moved closer to hear the conversation. When I did, I realized that it was my former nurse, Peggy. I was delighted to hear her call out my name as she was an amazing healthcare provider when I needed guidance, reassurance, and humor as a prescription to move forward with my cancer treatment.One could say that Peggy is an outstanding bedside nurse, but we might want to whisper that as we know that all outstanding bedside nurses who are current with the latest research and who have fortitude to deliver information in an honest and caring manner are offered endless opportunities to climb the professional ladder of nursing roles, so that they are no longer at the bedside.Then there is Peggy, who has devoted her career to bedside nursing because she loves what she does and she makes every patient feel like they are the only patient she has.
While I was a patient, I noticed that my chemo bag was fuller than usual which caused me some great anxiety, and when I rang for the nurse, Peggy came to my bedside and I heard her figuring out loud the formula for the chemo bag. Of course, she could have used the machine, but her incredible skills to problem solve not only brought a mathematical conclusion, but also involved the pharmacist in our meeting who reassured me that everything was okay.
Peggy is a DAISY Nurse because of all she does to make a patient feel safe and secure with her loving kindness and her incredible knowledge of cancer treatment, as well as her ability to add her humor to make you smile.