From the moment that I was rolled onto the unit I saw my Nurse, as I got closer to my room Christine was there to welcome me with a warm happy smile and I thought "I'm going to be alright". From the start Christine made me feel as if I was being cared for by a dear trusted friend who chose the profession of nursing, who coincidentally worked at Henry Ford Hospital, and just so happens to work on the floor and in the unit that I was assigned, to take care of me; no kidding that's how I felt.
I watched as Christine cared for my roommate and I knew, she was a high caliber nurse and a person of great compassion. As Christine saw to my cares and concerns it was clear that she had my best interest at heart and that she genuinely wanted to assist in my care; from an injection given ever so gently, to skillfully listening to my lungs and handing me a tissue to blow my nose. Christine took care of my needs.
I watched and listened as Christine interacted with peers and from that I was able to discern the high level of respect that others had for her and the reason why. This nurse knows what she is doing, she's good at what she does and she loves what she does.
This is not something that I usually do (shame on me) but as I've grown older I've learned not to take so much for granted, to stop and observe the people and things around me and that's how I noticed Christine and when someone shows an above and beyond the call of their profession to touch another soul it must be acknowledged.
I let Christine know of my heartfelt thanks the evening before my discharge because I wanted Christine to end her day with a proverbial "job well done".