Our family was at the hospital to visit with our mother as she had her surgery. The surgery went well with no complications. The nurses transferred Mom to her patient room, where she was met with wonderful care and bedside manner. Theresa was not alone that day. She was covering her caseload, as well as training a new nurse. Her IVs were hung, meds were given, and she was made as comfortable as she could have been, as she had to lay flat for four hours. This is when things went south. Our mom began to have an allergic reaction to the antibiotics, which we understand as common practice after surgery. As her daughters, we are familiar with Mom and knew that she was experiencing anxiety. What we didn’t know was that she was having an allergic reaction. THERESA DID! Theresa immediately recognized her difficulty breathing, her panicky face, and her vital signs. Theresa leaped into action and stopped the medication. We were a little confused as she left the room, but instantly, she had the BEST team by Mom’s side. Theresa kept her composure and talked softly, directly, and slowly so Mom could hear. If she wouldn’t have acted so quickly, I’m sure we would have lost our mom that day. Afterward, I thanked Theresa in the hall, she accepted my gratitude and explained, “It’s my job,” with a smile.

The next day, Mom had the privilege of having Theresa care for her again. She even came to give a special goodbye before her shift was up, as Mom was being discharged later that evening. Nurses like Theresa, with her experience, knowledge, skills, and wonderful caring heart should be given immense distinction to just “do their job” in such a loving way.

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Since I’ve been here, I have had Theresa as my nurse. Not only is she attentive, but she is also good at what she does. I appreciate everything she did for me. Theresa represents an example of a nurse who is compassionate and caring. She is exactly what this hospital needs, plus more!