I was transported to the downtown campus from Tulane Lakeside. My gallbladder was badly infected and I was being treated for sepsis. Everything was wonderful when the morning shift took over. The entire staff was attentive and very helpful. James explained every procedure that was needed and continually checked to ensure my comfort. The thing I appreciated the most was his ability to get his job done without waking me throughout the night or disturbing me unnecessarily. He knew I would need pain medicine and something for nausea at midnight. He also knew he needed to draw blood shortly after midnight and that someone would take my vitals around 12:30 am. We discussed a plan that worked perfectly for me. Once he saw the person taking vitals on the floor he would bring my meds, take the blood samples needed and be done just in time for the vitals. This plan allowed me to sleep undisturbed for 6 hours each night he took care of me. That may not seem like much to you but for the patient that time is golden.
The next day I had surgery and went back to my room. Both IVs had been in for a few days and were beginning to cause problems. James and I discussed how he would rectify the issue. I would not need fluids or antibiotics for a couple hours and my IV had to be corrected for the meds. He took the time to remove both IVs, allowing me to move freely for two hours. Again, this was a big deal for me. What was better was the way he removed the IV. He took alcohol wipes and steadily worked it under the tape removing all glue holding it down. No one has ever done that before. There was zero pain as he removed the tape. The care James provides to his patients is a credit to him as a person, his education as a nurse and Tulane for seeing his potential.