Dan Iles
September 2016
Dan
Iles
,
RN, CPN
Pediatrics, St. Joseph's Children's Hospital
St. Joseph's Baptist Hospitals
Tampa
,
FL
United States
I am 11 years old and have spent a lot of my childhood in the hospital. It is not a fun place to be. I am not always in control of what is done to mewhich can be scary.The days here can be long and very boring.What makes a difference is the people that work here. A great nurse can make all the difference inthe world.
Dan is my all-time favorite nurse because he treats me like a kid, not a sick patient.So far this admission, I have been here three weeks.I never dreamed a simple surgery would land me here for so long. The worst part was I had to spend my 11th birthday in a bare hospital room. I wasn't able to go to Orlando like I had planned. The night before my birthday was the first night Dan was my nurse.Right from the beginning he made me smile. He somehow made me feel better about being stuck here for my birthday. While I slept he secretly decorated my room. He hung streamers from the ceiling and decorated my door.I was so surprised how great my room looked when I woke up. Two weeks later I still have the things hanging from the ceiling. It reminds me of how special Dan made my birthday.
Dan also helps me with my medicine. I have to put a lot of medicine through my g tube and it makes me feel pretty sick. He is very patient with me when I ask to go slowly. He makes me laugh so it isn't so bad. The best part is when I ask him for Zofran he goes and gets it right away. He doesn't tell me I have to wait a minute.
At night I have different medicines that I have to take. Dan is like a ninja; he comes in the room as quiet as can be. He gives me all the medicines I need and he programs the IV pumpsso they don't beep all night.
Dan is not all fun and games. He has rules and I have to follow them. I have to take my medicine and I can't talk back.He wears the same boring blue scrubs every day but if I write him a reminder note he will wear his super hero scrubs the next night. The only rule is that I have to spell every word right in the note. So it might take me a couple of drafts to get it right, but it is worth my effort.
Dan may not have saved my life but he has made it bearable to be here. He treats me like a kid. He listens to me when I hurt. He makes me laugh when I am sad. He makes me feel normal. I am so glad he is here to take care of me.
Dan is my all-time favorite nurse because he treats me like a kid, not a sick patient.So far this admission, I have been here three weeks.I never dreamed a simple surgery would land me here for so long. The worst part was I had to spend my 11th birthday in a bare hospital room. I wasn't able to go to Orlando like I had planned. The night before my birthday was the first night Dan was my nurse.Right from the beginning he made me smile. He somehow made me feel better about being stuck here for my birthday. While I slept he secretly decorated my room. He hung streamers from the ceiling and decorated my door.I was so surprised how great my room looked when I woke up. Two weeks later I still have the things hanging from the ceiling. It reminds me of how special Dan made my birthday.
Dan also helps me with my medicine. I have to put a lot of medicine through my g tube and it makes me feel pretty sick. He is very patient with me when I ask to go slowly. He makes me laugh so it isn't so bad. The best part is when I ask him for Zofran he goes and gets it right away. He doesn't tell me I have to wait a minute.
At night I have different medicines that I have to take. Dan is like a ninja; he comes in the room as quiet as can be. He gives me all the medicines I need and he programs the IV pumpsso they don't beep all night.
Dan is not all fun and games. He has rules and I have to follow them. I have to take my medicine and I can't talk back.He wears the same boring blue scrubs every day but if I write him a reminder note he will wear his super hero scrubs the next night. The only rule is that I have to spell every word right in the note. So it might take me a couple of drafts to get it right, but it is worth my effort.
Dan may not have saved my life but he has made it bearable to be here. He treats me like a kid. He listens to me when I hurt. He makes me laugh when I am sad. He makes me feel normal. I am so glad he is here to take care of me.