My 14 year old autistic son received a spinal fusion and was admitted into the 7th Tower of Driscoll. Days later, his day nurse Adriana came into the room for shift change. She was the first nurse to talk to him about his pain scale and what his goal could be for that day. She did not sugar-coat the reality of his post-operative pain, but discussed how she could help him in a way he could understand by alternating his pain medications to help him achieve better pain control. She also asked me if he needed any special accommodations or communication because of his history of being on the spectrum.

I truly appreciate that she took the time to consider his needs. When she returned to give him his morning medications, she began to ask him things that weren’t in his chart such as: what were his likes outside of the hospital, what school/grade was he going into, etc. She took the time to get to know him. She even shared a little bit about herself, one of which being that she does not have any children, “so the kids here at the hospital are my babies”. My son later told her that it was a shame that she didn’t have kids because she “would be an amazing mother”.

Throughout the day my son struggled with pain control, but Adriana was always quick to help relieve his tension. When he’d call for repositioning assistance, she didn’t say “let me call a co-worker, or another nurse”. Instead she’d say, “let me call one of my friends to help me”. I feel this helped instill trust in a friendly environment, and again put it in a way he could understand.

We had the pleasure of having Adriana as a nurse for two days. Early on, she realized that he related to music, so throughout her time with us, she used music as a way to connect with him. Some examples were her singing, “Let It Go”, when he struggled to urinate after his foley removal, or singing “wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, yeah” when trying to get him to wiggle to the edge of the bed to assist him with standing, and countless others. She even asked him for song requests she could play during his sponge bath. All of which built trust and helped reduce his anxiety. I always tell my children that the little things they do in life can truly make a difference to someone else’s; it’s the small things that count. Adriana did all this and more, and exceeded our expectations by far! She turned a very negative and frightening situation into something manageable and optimistic, and for that we will forever be grateful. Per my son, she is “kind, funny, and treats her patients like a mother should”. Therefore, we believe she is a true DAISY Nurse. She was amazing and her patients, her department, and the hospital are lucky to have her.