September 2016
Anna
Kline
,
RN
Med/Surg
Upstate University Hospital Health System
Syracuse
,
NY
United States
The other day I experienced something incredible. I noticed someone standing at the nurses' station waiting to be helped, so I asked if I could assist him. The man told me that he was looking for our secretary to drop something off for his wife Anna.Our secretary was on the phone, so I volunteered to take it for him and give it to her. He proceeded to hand me a backpack. Thinking nothing of it, once our secretary was off the phone, I gave her the backpack. She then explained to me that it was for a patient and it was clothing. I was utterly blown away. This man was homeless. Anna washed and cut his hair, trimmed his beard and mustache. Afterwards, Anna just couldn't get over how he was looking at himself in the mirror. She went out of her way and above and beyond the call of duty to help this man by not only helping him get cleaned him up, but by clothing him as well. Of course this brought me to tears. As a fellow nurse, I understand we have hard days and good days. Sometimes we question our career choice, especially early on because it is stressful being new. When you experience people around you do things like this, it really shows you why we chose this field of helping those around us and in any way possible. I am truly blessed to work with someone so amazing, compassionate, and caring. Anna, you are right where you need to be. Thank you for being amazing.