The day after my surgery I awoke to find myself all night in the care of Rebecca Bernardi. That day Northwestern Medicine was announced the Best in Chicagoland and I know why. The Star, that last one in my All-Star medical team, was Rebecca. Surgery aftercare was more than meds, vitals and bed checks.
Paradoxically after my surgery, I could not sleep because I was, after three long excruciating years, pain free. As the drugs wore off, I hardly needed pain meds. I felt so joyful that smiles and excitement held unwept tears. Imagine I had a nurse singing softly as she worked all night-gently sharing her actions to heal body and spirit. Rebecca has the best Renaissance qualities: expertise, joy in work and wisdom beyond years. It does not matter how young she is. At dawn, I asked her if I could write a letter for her, feeling her excellence. Nurses deal with suffering and helping the patient heal. We can't quantify this gift.
Rebecca used every professional second to help me through the trauma of surgery. She illuminated with humor and listened carefully to my gratitude toward a huge number of a surgical teams I would never meet. She did complex after care duties and celebrated with me the joy of recovery. She cared for the total patient: talking, listening, medicine, singing the night through. We know a nurse deals with patient suffering. She helped me transform an illness and despair into a celebration of "you made it through".
How careful we must be to document and reward a nurse who represents what a Northwestern medical team has to offer. Here is a congratulations "BEST" which sums up what a concern for the total healing and holistic care a nurse offers; the certain healing with wonderful post-surgical care. Bravo to a team and Rebecca whose healing is humanistic expertise care.