Sandra displays the true definition of God's love every day through her words and deeds. She is the kindest and most compassionate nurse I have ever met in my 30 years of clinical practice. She always goes out of her way to help patients and coworkers, with a smile and a positive attitude.
She bonds with patients by getting to know them, their families, and showing genuine interest in their unique situation. She exudes confidence without arrogance or ego. She provides exceptional care with extraordinary compassion. We recently had a patient who needed a COVID test to go to a nursing home. The first nasal swab had an error, and it needed to be repeated. The patient was getting very agitated and refused. Sandra asked everyone to leave the room. She stayed in the room and calmed the patient down by talking to him about his new grandson and prayed with him for a negative result. He agreed to retest after she reassured him. We have all witnessed her going to the gift shop or pharmacy to purchase patients and families items they need but cannot afford. When she has a day off, families always ask for her. I am always asked on discharge day if they can take Sandra home with them.
No job is too little or too large for her. Her most used phrases are: "Do you need help?" "How can I help you?" She is one of the few charge nurses who will round with physicians on all the patients on the unit. Every consultant knows her by name and trusts her to take care of their patients. She is the first to help a therapist or an aide if they need assistance with a patient transfer. She will assist the screener in getting reports on incoming patients, even managing to do so while taking care of a rapid response. I have personally witnessed her staying an hour and a half late to help a new nurse on the unit whose patient had a medical emergency and had to be transferred off the unit to acute care. She is a wonderful mentor to new nurses, nursing students, and nurse technicians who pass through the unit. She often volunteers to come in on her day off to help with our weekly team meeting if we have two float pool nurses, where a nursing report is required. We have a gentleman with special needs who delivers the meal cart to our unit. He forgets what he is supposed to do and is often late. Sandra shows him such compassion and patience that he goes straight to her for direction. She knows every person that comes to our unit from other departments by name, and the respect they have for her is evident.
A nurse's work is always incredibly challenging, especially at present, amid a pandemic. A nurse must be competent, sympathetic, and compassionate. Sandra embodies all these qualities, and our team members describe her as the true definition of God's love. She is a true DAISY Nurse.