I was a post lung transplant patient in the SICU in 2017. I remember other nurses and they all did a wonderful job of taking great care of me during my stay in SICU. I would especially like to acknowledge Kim Zizzo-Helm.
All the nurses, aids, and technicians did a wonderful job of their assigned duties during their rounding. Assessing pain, position, elimination needs, and monitoring pumps and other equipment were all done in a professional manner. Kim, however, did two things that set her apart from all the rest.
A doctor had ordered a gastric tube to be inserted up my nose and down my throat. Before doing so, Kim explained what she and another woman were going to do, what I needed to do to assist, and how it would probably feel (very uncomfortable) to me. Carefully, but quickly as to minimize the pain, they inserted the tube. As it was done, I saw the look of, "I'm sorry I have to do this!" in her facial expression and the extreme look of compassion in her eyes and the caring touch of her hand on my shoulder and back of my neck when it was over. The other woman wiped the sweat from my forehead as Kimberly held my hand until I calmed down.
In the other incident, near the end of my stay in the SICU, I was given the news by a doctor that I needed to stay a day or two longer. I had been impatient to move on and was very disappointed. Kim was in the room at the time. After the doctor left, Kim pulled up a chair near the bed, sat down, and asked what she could do to make me more comfortable. It wasn't so much her asking me the question, but more her body language. She didn't just sit in the chair squarely but turned at a 90-degree angle to the chair, bent one knee and sat down on her lower leg and foot as women often do in a relaxed atmosphere. The relaxed position she assumed was contagious and helped me to relax. It was a very small effort on her part but did wonders for my disposition.
I was glad to meet Kim and have her take care of me during my stay.