What makes someone a good nurse? To start, someone who goes above and beyond to not only care for the patient but for the family as well. Laura Garcia was that nurse. My Aunt was admitted with a suspected stroke. Initially, she was being treated on a medicine floor before being transferred. As she was participating in occupational therapy at the bedside, she suffered another stroke and was transferred again. This was where I met Laura. She immediately greeted me with a smile and knew as a fellow RN, I would want to know the plan and next steps. All pertinent and accurate information was provided to me and Laura was honest with all findings during her assessments of my Aunt. Neurology was never my strong suit but watching Laura do her skillful and independent work assured me that she was extremely competent and someone I could trust.
When it was time to leave that afternoon, I was at peace knowing that Laura would advocate for anything that was needed after I was gone. She verified phone numbers and names and encouraged me to call the unit if I had any questions or just wanted an update.
The next day when I arrived to see my Aunt, Laura was there. It was like a weight was lifted when I saw that she was caring for my Aunt again. She greeted me with a smile, updated on the report she received from the night shift, her current assessment, and what the plan was for the day. Since there was a decline in my Aunt's condition, she immediately called the team so that they could come and speak to me directly.After much consideration, my Aunt was made comfort care. Laura pulled the curtain to provide me privacy, offered me something to drink, and looked at me with care and compassion assuring me that I made the right decision. She never laid a hand on my Aunt without addressing her by name. She spoke softly to her and told her everything that she was going to do before doing it. She turned and repositioned her every 2 hours like clockwork and showed only the utmost respect every time she was near her.
We moved to a private room that day and out of the unit. Laura continued to be her nurse even though we were not in the more critical room. She could have handed us off to someone else, but she didn't do that. She made sure to continue to provide the same level of care to my Aunt until it was time for her to leave.
Around noon the following day, there was a knock on the door. When it opened, Laura walked in with a vase of flowers. She came over to say hello and to check on my Aunt. She handed me the flowers with a card that stated how lucky my Aunt was to have such a caring family. She signed it the "Unit staff." Tears ran down my face at this kind and empathetic gesture. She never forgot about my Aunt and she never forgot about me. She was one of the most caring nurses I have ever met—one that I am proud to say works at the same hospital as I do. And like she never forgot us; I will never forget her. With Gratitude.