My son, T, was brought by ambulance to Doctors Hospital. He has diagnoses of autism and epilepsy and was experiencing gastrointestinal issues at the time of his arrival. Rob was our Emergency Room nurse. T's minimal verbal communication skills make it difficult to adequately diagnose medical concerns, and in the past has presented barriers to some nursing staff who might have little to no experience with the special needs population.
In Rob's case, he gave no indication of being uncomfortable with T. He interacted with him and treated him as though he had no limitations. Just as importantly, he kept me engaged in the medical process, listened to my suggestions about medication protocols and diet, and kept me up-to-date about lab work and connections with doctors. When T was allowed a regular diet and the cafeteria brought items that he would not eat, Rob found PB & J sandwiches, which he would eat. He made extra so that some would be on the floor in case the cafeteria failed to include such items in the next delivered meal.
We spent over 24 hours in the Emergency Room because of a bed shortage, so we had Rob for two days. He provided the same level of care on the second day and stuck around at the conclusion of his shift to make sure we were successfully transitioned to the new floor and that the staff was aware of T's autism and dietary issues. Thanks for a pleasant Emergency Room experience!