A patient was on the unit who had suffered from depression for over six months. She had a condition which was preventing her from potentially healing. Due to the depression, she was insecure about the condition as well as losing her hair. The end result was she needed a very short haircut. Steven, having four intermediate care patients of his own, was asked if he could cut her hair since he has experience with cutting hair. He immediately agreed he would.
He went to the patient's room knowing her condition and spent as much time as he needed to ensure she had a haircut that was presentable. He did not rush through to get out of the room (isolation room). Steven took time with this patient; he showed compassion and love for her. Understanding the patient had been depressed for a long period of time resulting in the condition, he knew what he needed to do. He gave her the perfect cut and assured her how great she looked with the new cut.
Being responsible for four patients of your own, and stopping to spend 30 minutes or more in another room to ensure a patient is appropriately taken care of is truly remarkable in itself. Not to mention, it's not passing medications or helping with some type of procedure, it was giving them a haircut. As a nurse, our skill set does not include cutting hair or styling hair, but on this day, Steven stopped what he was doing to make sure this patient thought she was the only patient on the unit and was taken care of.