My husband was transferred to UF Health Shands Hospital from out of state because of his dire need for a lung transplant. I had uprooted myself, left our kids in the care of family & went on a frightening journey in pursuit of a lifesaving opportunity for my husband (and our family). During his lengthy hospital stay, we met Wan and we were blown away by the amazing care she gave! There are many, many, many instances in which Wan went above and beyond the call of a nurse’s duties to assure that he was cared for. Wan picked up many shifts in order to ensure his continuity of care was there.

On the day of his transplant, she was there to make sure she admitted him back to his room…she stayed 3 or 4 hours late and made sure that the night nurses were fully up to speed. She also had the night nurse switch her schedule that week so he would have the same nursing team for the first 4 days after surgery. She made sure that not a beat was missed!

Here is an excerpt from my family update the day after his surgery: “They let Wan scrub in for the last few minutes in the OR last night…she snipped the thread after the final suture was tied…anyone who knows me knows that I would have loved to be able to do that myself. However Wan would be the only other person that I would want doing it in my place. She has taken him on as her own. She cried when the lungs were approved, cried when surgery was over & he did well. She left here around 10 last night & was back by 6:45. Being his nurse the past few days & the next few days is no joke. There are a ton of moving parts & she is handling them all…. flawlessly! This team has been so AMAZING! Team members that are off have all been calling in to check on him. I really feel so blessed!”

Wan’s critical thinking was bar none during the time she was his nurse. She would watch every vital sign read every clinical clue & alert the Dr. of even the slightest changes that might require medical attention. Wan left no stone unturned when it came to his care. Beyond her nursing duties of monitoring his vitals assessing his medical status cleaning him giving him meds (which was a full-time job on its own) changing his linens and bathing him, she would also take him outside & get him some much-needed fresh air & normalcy. She would organize a team of about 7 or 8 to help in this task…we needed an RT to take care of the vent noxbox & flolane, an ECMO specialist to monitor the ECMO machine, someone to wheel the wheelchair, someone to carry 4 chest tubes, someone to push the IV poles…many times there were multiple. She did this on several occasions. She would also make sure he was out of bed every morning (that it was medically possible) when she had him. She would track down PT/OT & Speech & make sure he did not miss a service. While doing all of this she would joke with him talk to him encourage him to keep pushing himself. She would always check on me and ask if I needed anything. She always went above & beyond.

In one instance in particular he was taken to the OR as a last-ditch effort to try to stop his deteriorating health. The surgeons decided it was necessary to reconfigure his ECMO cannulas…a risky surgery. Here is an excerpt from my family update on that day: “Due to the risky nature of this procedure throughout the day the doctors debated bringing him to the OR. They finally decided at 4 o’clock that they were going to do it. I was able to go down with him to the OR to sign another consent form. The surgeon estimated the procedure to take about 2 hours. 3 & 1/2 hours later his nurse Wan came to tell me he was done his vitals were good & he would be back up in about 1/2 an hour. She stayed late because she wanted to be the one to admit him back into his room. I need to take a second to talk about this nurse…she picked up a shift on Thursday & a shift on Friday just to be his nurse. She was so worried about him & wanted to make sure he was getting the best care possible! Doing that meant she worked 7 days in a row…just to be with him. Btw she’s back today as part of her regular schedule. Not only did she pick up yesterday’s shift she also stayed until 9:30 (2 hours after her shift) to make sure he was settled back into his room & was stable. She also came to tell me when the procedure was done & that he was doing well. She & his ECMO nurse both came out to the waiting room to hug me & jump up & down with me. They were just as worried & excited for him as I was. My friend happened to be on the phone with me & couldn’t believe the level of care & concern that was given to us. I have said it all along…he (& I) have received some of the best care by the most caring knowledgeable patient committed compassionate medical staff. I am so thankful to all of them!”

This young lady is an extraordinary nurse! The words I have will never adequately depict all of her accomplishments. She is a brilliant hardworking compassionate resourceful kind caring tireless nurse. I am in awe of her! I am so grateful that our paths aligned and that she was one of the most intricate parts of my husband’s care. I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that my husband survived his ordeal thanks in large part to all of her efforts. She is the definition of an amazing nurse. They should teach practical nursing based on her practices.