I had a 6-hour surgery at AMC. First, I want to commend AMC for the absolutely expert care I received, especially in the ASU, where I met an extraordinary young RN named Kenyatta. 

To set the stage for this nomination, I will share that I have had multiple GYN surgeries in my past, with some significant complications. Given my complex medical history and learning what did and didn’t work in my past, I prepared extensively for this major surgery, discussing protocols deemed successful to prevent the complications I have had in the past. It was determined with my surgeons and anesthesia what would occur, including implementing the ERAS protocol. Upon being admitted to pre-op, I found that there was a mix-up in the medications that were needed not being ordered and the ERAS team was not aware of this case. It was an oversight, but nonetheless, my anxiety, confidence in a complication-free outcome, and trepidation exponentially increased very quickly. 

Perhaps another factor is that, being a 40-year career RN, with almost 3 decades of experience in Administration and Quality/Performance Improvement, I thought I had done everything I could to be prepared. As most nurses and physicians might share, we tend to be a little bit of a control freak, or at least in my case, I sheepishly admit very much so. And, being in Quality for the last 10 years, I know all that could normally go wrong, along with the additional risks of my unique past medical conditions. So, back to the nomination for Kenyatta. 

Upon seeing my face and hearing the reasons for my sudden change in demeanor, Kenyatta stated “It’s OK, I am your nurse. You need to be the patient. I GOT THIS FOR YOU! I will make sure that everything that needs to be done is done before you go to the OR”. And, did she get on it – calling the ERAS team, getting orders for the medications that she had asked me that I thought I was to get, writing down each need, and checking they were all completed. And, I got to the OR in time for first case start!

But, why did I nominate Kenyatta? Yes, she gave me excellent care, but what set her apart is that she recognized my emotional state and determined that she needed to take my great concerns off me and she assumed them. She wanted to allay my concerns and prepare me emotionally as well as physically for the surgery. She asked me what I thought I needed to get, respecting my knowledge and experience. She provided me room to calm down, and to trust someone to be my advocate. She quickly started to make things happen, and throughout it all, communicated what she had done and what she was doing to make things happen. She kept me appraised of what was in the works and she was honest if things were going to be delayed. She asked a couple of times, “Is there anything else you have thought of that you need?” 

Kenyatta did her Nursing requirements, but most importantly, she took care of my emotional needs in a way that restored the positive mindset with which I came into the hospital. She understands that the whole person needs to be cared for in a holistic manner. I am sure she had several other patients being prepared for first cases (and I know that this is the busiest time of day for pre-op). I am sure this threw a bit of a monkey-wrench into her morning right off the start, but NOT ONCE did she make a negative comment, show that she was stressed, not give me the time I needed, or indicate that she was bothered. She always had a smile on her face when she came into the room. And, she kept ticking off all the things that were needed and informing me of the current state of affairs. When all was done, she said “You are all set. Everything is going to be fine!” As I write these words, tears are forming in my eyes and running down my face. And, for someone who prides herself on always being in control, I am embarrassed on some level. Even two months later, I still remember and feel that sense of relief and restored calmness returning as I was being wheeled into surgery, and I didn’t need medication to get me there (although it was offered, lol) - thanks to Kenyatta. I knew that she coordinated the team to collectively put me on the path to the best outcomes possible. You can’t teach this easily - and, I have tried many times with my preceptees and with teaching nurses in my administrative/quality roles.

Kenyatta is a young nurse, but she gets it – understanding the emotional needs of a patient, sensing and tuning into those needs, exuding confidence which builds trust, respecting a patient’s knowledge, and showing caring and compassion as she goes about her tasks. As it turns out – not one post-op complication occurred after this ambulatory surgery experience, thanks to Kenyatta’s extraordinary efforts and the expertise of the surgical team. 

As we all know, the Patient Experience is a focus for every hospital today, as we are measured upon these metrics. For a hospital, these metrics focus on “how” the patient felt about the care received, timeliness, communication, and collaboration. I can honestly say, in addition to the expert care I received at AMC, Kenyatta single-handedly made it easy to provide 5 stars on the HCAHPS patient survey. 

One of my favorite quotes from Maya Angelou states: “People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel”. This is why I nominated Kenyatta! I will never forget how she made me feel, as a patient in a vulnerable position. Kenyatta is our new generation of nurses – and despite all the challenges in our profession, the future is very bright with nurses of her caliber following in our footsteps. I am forever grateful for her care.