Mr F joined the team in the Male Surgical ward in 2019 as a newly qualified nurse. He was very quiet and nervous when he arrived. However, over time he became comfortable on the unit, was hard-working, polite, and respectful to everyone, and was a much-liked member of the MS1 team.

After a lot of hard work on both his part and the wider nursing team, his knowledge and skills progressed so that he eventually began to take patients of his own. The next step in his professional growth was preparing him to be a Charge Nurse.

Ms. Nalani, the Head Nurse of the unit, ensured that Mr. F was made to feel welcome in the unit, and was given all the support and help that he needed to grow professionally. Ms. Nalani was also a source of personal support and was always available for advice.

The unit was very busy, and Ms. Nalani as usual stayed back to help Mr F as he had several particularly demanding patients to care for. During this time Mr. F had asked Ms. Nalani if she would give him extra coaching with the new TrakCare system, and she promised to come in to work the following morning on her day off to do some teaching with him. However the following morning Mr. F did not turn up for work. This was a cause for concern as F was an extremely reliable nurse and was not usually late or absent.

After many attempts to contact him someone finally answered his phone and asked Ms. Nalani to go to a nearby hospital as Mr. F had an accident and had been admitted as a patient there. Ms. Nalani immediately made arrangements for Mr. F to be admitted to SFH and then went to the other hospital to see him.

Upon arriving at the hospital, Ms. Nalani met with Mr. F’s uncle who had also arrived. They were asked to go to speak to a policeman who was at the hospital and were told that Mr. F had died.

Afterward, Mr. F’s family expressed their appreciation for her presence in the hospital. They also said that Mr. F had previously spoken to them about her and were thankful to her for taking care of him.

This is just one of many stories I could tell you about the kindness and caring nature of Ms. Nalani. She is genuinely loved by her staff, the doctors, and the patients that are in her care. She always has a smile for everyone and is greeted enthusiastically by all who know her when she is out and about in the hospital.
Mr. F used to call Ms. Nalani "Mama" and would tell her that he would make her proud of him. When Mr. F died Ms. Nalani was truly heartbroken, and I know that Ms. Nalani was already proud of the young man who came to the unit as a novice and grew into a confident and capable young man.

For me, Ms. Nalani embodies what nursing is. Always willing to go that extra mile to help those around her.