My dad was a patient. He had pain and dizziness, which I won’t go into here, but I will say that due to progressed dementia, he had high levels of fear and was an extreme fall hazard. His dementia made him forget he was in danger until his condition caused serious pain and dizziness, which appeared to work in cycles. All of this had to be said to set the foundation of what I want to say about this nurse. From day one, I paid my dad a visit, at minimum, every evening and many days (as many as I could). All of the nursing staff on the 3rd Floor, from the assistants to the RNs, were kind, attentive, and good at what they do. One stood out, heads and tails, above the rest, however, for my dad and his needs. I knew within 3 minutes of walking into my dad’s room and observing his level of responsiveness, memory, demeanor, and fear/calm if this nurse was the nurse on duty or not. If Dad knew he was in the hospital, was in a good mood, could recall names, and remembered much about the day, I knew this nurse was at work that day. There were some things that this nurse did that made my dad feel safe both physically, which was typical of all the staff, and psychologically, which was, beautifully, this nurse. Physically, she made sure that she followed all of the safety protocols established for Dad, but she challenged him, a little at a time to progress, letting him know she was there for his safety. He was motivated to try. Other nurses would give up when he would give an ounce of complaint, but this nurse didn’t give up with just one complaint. It took 2 or 3, but she seemed to know the limit. Psychologically, this nurse could talk to each member of the family to determine their needs, but she especially was wonderful with Dad. She knew who needed medical details in medical terms (my sister), who needed to be talked to like a friend (my brother), who needed some extra care and support (my mom), and who needed straight talk (me). For dad, though, this nurse provided psychological support and safety, which progressed his medical care. Dementia can increase fear, loneliness, and confusion. This makes any condition difficult to treat...let’s say, exponentially increases the difficulty. Doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals are not expected to be mental health experts, so while they do the best they can with the knowledge and experience they have, few have extensive skills when it comes to application. That is why it is wonderful to have mental health professionals who can come in when we need them. With that said, at night, when patients are hospitalized alone, with dementia, without visitors from home, our nurses are the main lifeline they have, and a few like this nurse are exceptional. One day, I walked into the room, and this nurse was sitting next to the bed with a gloved hand, holding Dad’s hand, quietly telling him that he was not alone and she would be here while his wife needed to go get some sleep. He was crying. Another day, I walked in and noticed this nurse was reminding Dad (firmly) that for his safety, he had to stay in bed unless he had help. Since she knew he would forget, she came into the room twice more to remind him of that and to tell him, “you are doing well,” so he didn’t feel like he was in trouble. Other days, this nurse would bring medicine or check vital signs and either remember things about past conversations, his life, things he said he likes, sports teams he mentioned, his family and his wife and kids (6 kids and 57 exchange students). And, if Dad wanted it, she would let him pray with her. In essence, this nurse’s care is so patient-centered that she made my dad feel psychologically safe. She had a manner and attitude of care (not work), so an old man with progressed dementia was more psychologically “awake” and aware when she worked with him, even if only for a few moments at a time. Things I personally appreciate about this nurse which make me grateful that she was on my dad’s care team: • She is joyful & spreads joy to others • She provides patient-centered care • She is patient with someone hard to be patient with (sometimes) • She is willing to repeat instructions • She believes in teamwork • She has the ability to determine what each person needs • She provides a sense of safety and comfort • She pays attention to details & notices small discrepancies & small wins • She points out and applauds small wins, instead of waiting for the big wins. I would trust this nurse with the care of any of my family members. Thank you for sharing her with us. I would love to nominate Stephanie Clark for the DAISY Award.