“Words cannot express how amazing Ruben is to his patients and visiting family,” writes the wife of a patient at Orlando Health South Lake Hospital when nominating Ruben Perez, RN for the DAISY Award. "The unit is not ideal- it is loud and uncomfortable. Ruben was a ray of sunshine in this otherwise miserable place. He is strong to be able to help lift my husband. He is competent- working the equipment, bed, and table to make my husband comfortable. He made sure we stayed ahead of the pain and addressed our concerns quickly.

Ruben was on top of our medications and reminded the hospitalist doctor about it too. Also, when my husband returned from surgery a tray was waiting for him. He does all of this with a smile and charm. He is a blessing to his patients, the hospital and to us. He is very intelligent and takes a lot of care to educate us on the disease process. He went above and beyond despite being so busy. He gives great individualized fantastic care. "

As a nurse on the hospital’s clinical decision unit (CDU) for nearly four years, Ruben provides compassionate comprehensive care to patients who present in the emergency department. His responsibilities include assessing patient care needs, prioritizing patients based on acuity level, and assisting physicians during examinations, treatments and procedures.

“Ruben is a winner,” said nursing operations manager, Orlando Health South Lake CDU. “Not only does he care for patients and families who are often distressed about their loved ones being in the hospital, he also serves as a preceptor, helping to train new RNs or those new to this unit.”