Margaret was the first nurse I interacted with extensively after I was admitted when I was admitted Wednesday, near the shift change.  I was amazed by how happy she seemed prior to the beginning of a long shift.  It took a while for the doctor’s medication order to be relayed to the lab and my IV’s to arrive.  I watched Margaret as she set up the drip lines on the IV tree and was impressed by her competence.  By the time I was hooked up, I was relaxed and confident that she knew what she was doing and would quickly identify and deal with any issue that arose. She explained what I was given and the additional medications I would receive that night.  I was glad to know what to expect and that after a relatively brief interval, my treatments would continue in the early morning.  While she was setting up my treatment, she received a constant stream of calls. Some she could answer immediately, others she added to her night’s tasks.  In spite of all the demands she had on her time, she didn’t leave my room until she knew all my concerns were addressed.  When she arrived in the morning to start my IVs again, she was in as good a mood as when I met her.  It was hard to believe that she could have worked all night and still appear as cheerful and relaxed as when she started.  That morning, while checking the meds, she saw that that one was a medication that I just had and was too soon to repeat.  he promptly resolved the issue. 

The next night, I had settled into the hospital routine. My roommate had been released and I was looking forward to a restful night.  My roommate was a noisy sleeper and I sleep lightly.  Margaret came in and gave me my nightly IVs.  When she came by to unhook me from my last IV in that cycle around 11:30 PM, I was staying awake for my vitals.  Margaret knew 3 AM would come soon, so she took my vitals so I could get a bit more sleep.  I really appreciated it and, I know the tech did too.

My restful night's sleep was interrupted when staff had to come in and prepare the other bed in my room for an incoming patient around 2:30. They tried to be as quiet as possible, but I’m a light sleeper, so woke up anyway. Like the previous night, Margaret seemed as calm and relaxed as the previous night when she started my IVs around 3.

That demeanor was severely tested when my new roommate arrived around 4 AM.  The new patient had a broken tailbone and was in a lot of pain.  She screamed when transferred to the bed and moaned for a while afterward.  Margaret came in to collect information and patient history.  The new patient was not cooperative. Difficult would be an understatement.  She wanted pain meds and an IMMEDIATE transfer to a nursing home. She had been in the ICU at the hospital and felt that all the records were on file and should be accessed and SHE shouldn’t be bothered.  (It was impossible not to overhear, given her nearness and loudness.)  Margaret explained that she didn’t have access to her file and she needed some information.  The patient refused to answer directly.  Margaret talked to her and approached the questions in a number of ways until she got the information she needed.  It was a truly impressive performance.  Margaret maintained an empathetic demeanor, stayed calm, and never got impatient.  Given the provocation offered by the patient.  It’s something I couldn’t do in a million years.  

Margaret, in my mind, is a wonderful nurse and deserves to be recognized and appreciated.  She has a thorough understanding of her duties, performs them in a gentle manner, and explains what she’s doing in an understandable manner.  She always concentrated on the patient she was with and spent as much time as necessary to address their needs regardless of the other demands on her time.  She is pleasant and gives the impression that she is capable of handling any situation that may arise.  I never saw her exhibit a “not my job” attitude and, suspect, from how well respected she appeared to be by her coworkers, that she never did.  I saw her pitch in when needed.  She’s truly an asset to the hospital and a wonderful ambassador to patients.  I expected to be in the hospital another night and my only regret about being discharged Friday evening was that I couldn’t thank Margaret for the care she