I am an ED nurse with more than 20 years of experience and am so used to providing care to patients. Recently, I had the experience of being on the other side of the bed and being a patient. I had a recurrent afib and had to undergo ablation. I went down to CTC after an hour or so in the recovery area of the cath lab, and everyone there was so welcoming & warm.

I met Mercy as my nurse, and I could tell right away that Mercy was very experienced and knowledgeable. But it is how she treats her patients that sets her apart. She explained everything to me and my wife, especially the plan and steps in the next hours to help me recover prior to my discharge. She was detail-oriented without making us feel nervous or stupid and assured us that she would be with us every step of the way to ensure that I would be recovered and discharged safely. She checked and assessed my groin puncture sites and showed and explained to us what was normal or abnormal. She even made sure that her gloved hands were warm before touching me! When I complained of a sore throat, she called pharmacy for some lozenges. And factoring in that I have been on NPO since midnight, she also requested a warm meal. It may sound simple, but after not having anything for more than 20 hours, it made a huge difference! She gave me the lozenges right away to make sure I could swallow and have some relief before my meal arrived. She watched me take a few bites to make sure I was OK then gave us some privacy to finish my meal. She was helping me when the other gentleman in the next cubicle tried to get up and had a vasovagal response. She jumped into action to help the other patient preventing him from falling & getting injured. I know “we” are safe and have a great nurse taking care of us!

When I was discharged, I accidentally left my after-visit summary on the bedside table. Even though she already discussed the instructions with me and my wife, and I told her I could probably access the copy the following day in mychart, she called me and offered to bring the printed copy to my home. That’s going above & beyond her responsibilities! When I assured her I remembered the instructions and would reach out if I had any questions, she offered to take a picture of the instructions and email or text it to me to make sure I have them.

It was no fun to be on the other side of the bed as a patient, but having Mercy as my nurse proved that how you’re treated at your most vulnerable/weakest time makes a huge difference in one’s hospital stay and experience!