Heather Anderson
September 2021
Heather
Anderson
,
BSN, RN
Surgical Intensive Care Unit
University of Maryland Medical Center, Downtown Campus
Baltimore
,
MD
United States
When Heather would examine me, she did so with such gentleness. We sparked up non-medical conversations to help pass the time, or simply to take my mind off of the pain I would feel during the examinations.
I’d like to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation for one of the RNs assigned to my room during my stay in the SICU at the University of Maryland Medical Center, Ms. Heather Anderson. Heather is an RN, let alone a human being whom I will never forget. I will never forget and will always remember her kindness and humanity in my time of need while under care.
While I cannot speak for others, I know that being in the hospital has always been an intimidating time for me. The pandemic has only made it worse. I had to undergo an intensive operation and couldn’t have been more terrified, honestly. The night that Heather was my nurse, a lot of those feelings and emotions went away. She introduced herself with such gentleness, and while in a hospital bed, completely swollen and filled with fluids and in so much pain, a patient cannot ask for more.
I felt as though we made a quick connection, which is another thing that a patient really needs and craves when they cannot care for themselves. When Heather would examine me, she did so with such gentleness. We sparked up non-medical conversations to help pass the time, or simply to take my mind off of the pain I would feel during the examinations. Knowing of the pain I would feel during the bath, or changing my sheets on the hospital bed, Heather gathered two other nurses whom she knew would help in every way possible. She walked me through each step so there’d be no painful surprises, and made me smile often. Heather knew just the right way to help me (as her patient) and did it without any hesitation. A bath and changing of sheets that could have been an extremely painful and lengthy process, Heather did it with such delight. I could instantly tell that she is one of the best at what she does and that she is extremely passionate about what she loves to do.
In my opinion, that’s the best kind of nurse there could ever be – a truly genuine medical professional. Heather’s bedside manner is one of a kind. There was a moment during my stay that I had lost blood and had to have a blood transfusion. These are very scary words to hear while trying to recover from a long, complex surgery where I had already lost so much blood. Heather was extremely quick with action and knew just how to handle this scary situation. She handled it with such calmness, it was so impressive and she made me feel safe. We held conversations afterward just to keep me calm, and at the same time, she monitored me every moment. There will never be a way that I could thank her for everything she’s done for me – let alone all of the other patients I am sure feel the same way as I do.
While I cannot speak for others, I know that being in the hospital has always been an intimidating time for me. The pandemic has only made it worse. I had to undergo an intensive operation and couldn’t have been more terrified, honestly. The night that Heather was my nurse, a lot of those feelings and emotions went away. She introduced herself with such gentleness, and while in a hospital bed, completely swollen and filled with fluids and in so much pain, a patient cannot ask for more.
I felt as though we made a quick connection, which is another thing that a patient really needs and craves when they cannot care for themselves. When Heather would examine me, she did so with such gentleness. We sparked up non-medical conversations to help pass the time, or simply to take my mind off of the pain I would feel during the examinations. Knowing of the pain I would feel during the bath, or changing my sheets on the hospital bed, Heather gathered two other nurses whom she knew would help in every way possible. She walked me through each step so there’d be no painful surprises, and made me smile often. Heather knew just the right way to help me (as her patient) and did it without any hesitation. A bath and changing of sheets that could have been an extremely painful and lengthy process, Heather did it with such delight. I could instantly tell that she is one of the best at what she does and that she is extremely passionate about what she loves to do.
In my opinion, that’s the best kind of nurse there could ever be – a truly genuine medical professional. Heather’s bedside manner is one of a kind. There was a moment during my stay that I had lost blood and had to have a blood transfusion. These are very scary words to hear while trying to recover from a long, complex surgery where I had already lost so much blood. Heather was extremely quick with action and knew just how to handle this scary situation. She handled it with such calmness, it was so impressive and she made me feel safe. We held conversations afterward just to keep me calm, and at the same time, she monitored me every moment. There will never be a way that I could thank her for everything she’s done for me – let alone all of the other patients I am sure feel the same way as I do.