Not long ago I was admitted to the hospital with a seriously infected finger and was put on a 3-day regimen of antibiotics. Over the course of my stay and treatment, I always felt comfortable and confident that I was receiving the very best of attention and care I could possibly hope to receive. Everyone there from the housekeeping staff to my assigned hospitalist showed a great amount of concern for my treatment and recovery, respect for me as a patient, and I believe everyone there genuinely did what they could to make my stay as comfortable as possible under the circumstances.
I would like to express my appreciation for one nurse, in particular, Jen Mauer, who in my opinion went out of her way to help me better understand not merely the immediate medical issue I was currently experiencing, but rather gave me her opinions and ideas as to how I may be able to reduce the risk of re-infecting my fingers in the future. She took the time to discover the things I do on a regular basis, some of which include turning wrenches, not for a living, but for myself on my own projects which are rather numerous. She asked if I normally wear gloves when wrenching, to keep dirt, grease, oils, and bacteria from getting into the fingers, especially through skin abrasions and cuts or through the base of the nail where the nail and skin come together. I admitted to her, and more importantly to myself, that I generally do not wear protective gloves when wrenching.
Although her advice was not what I wanted to hear, I found it to be practical and meaningful to the activities I am associated with on a day to day basis. I appreciate the extra efforts she made to dig a little deeper regarding my personal life and then sharing with me her thoughts on a simple change I can make to reduce the likelihood of me experiencing a similar infection in the future. Thanks, Jen!