Carol is an angel on earth whom I look up to and emulate. She is a nurse who embodies kindness, compassion, empathy, and genuine love for her patients. She takes time to communicate with patients and their loved ones to provide care that is focused on their needs and goals. She is an ICU nurse who recently took care of a patient in CTSICU after his heart transplant. I truly believe that sometimes we are exactly where we need to be, and Carol was meant to care for Mr. G.

She was assigned to him and even requested by him and his family to be his nurse. She spent hours individualizing care to what he needed especially when it came to communication. She reached out to get a lip-reading service to better communicate with her vented patient about his goals, big and small. She addressed the tough questions- do you want to be on dialysis? Are you feeling okay with the overall situation, and does it align with your overall goals? How do you feel about hospice and transitioning care to comfort Vs. Restorative?

Carol came in for extra shifts when he and his family were asking if she was coming back the next day. Carol was there through many of the ups and downs and provided a gift of love to Mr. G and his family through the care she provided. She was there when he made his transition to comfort, she guided his family through the difficult time, and even drew from her own experiences to support his wife in the grieving process. She walked his wife to her car and spent time with her even after her shift had ended.

Carol is someone I look up to, I see the care she gives and how she provides care based on patient needs and desires. She is a loving and trusting presence for her patients and that is something that simply cannot be taught. I hope you feel the love Carol provides to her patients after reading this.