My husband was admitted to the hospital after the insertion of a tube into his chest to help drain pleural effusion. He was originally admitted to a different floor/ward because of a complicated medical history. While all of the PD (peritoneal dialysis) nurses worked to care for him – one nurse – Stephanie, took us under her wing and tirelessly advocated for his best care. She got him moved to the floor where most of the PD dialysis care was done. She became the person that we trusted to convey our wishes about treatment to the appropriate people.

When she saw that my husband was becoming weaker because of the treatment schedule (we understood the necessity, but it was still debilitating), she worked with doctors to make a schedule that allowed him to get some rest between treatments. She explained patiently every step of our varying changes of expectations from the doctors. My husband had tubes in front and on his back. She spent time trying to find a comfortable position for rest/sleep. She was extremely patient with my many questions. She is now a fantastic nurse, and I believe she will become a leader and teacher just through her actions being observed and emulated by others. Hospitalization is never an enjoyable event, but Stephanie worked so hard to minimize discomfort, confusion, anxiety, and expectations. She’s a treasure .