As part of her patients mental health struggles, the patient was violent and impulsive, hitting, kicking, and throwing anything within reach at anybody who entered the room. Louise Goff was assigned to her arbitrarily the first day, and by the end of her shift the patient was so attached to Louise that she cried when Louise had to leave for the night. Louise volunteered to take her the next day, knowing that she was difficult to care for, and because they had an understanding of each other from the day before. The patient’s induction stretched into a third day, and Louise again volunteered to care for her, not only to provide continuity of care to the patient, but to prevent other coworkers from having to take care of this difficult and violent patient who did not share the same bond. Louise’s very presence helped to diffuse the patient’s behaviors, and with Louise at the bedside the patient was willing to listen to the doctors’ rationale for necessary treatments and procedures.

I wholeheartedly believe this patient’s hospital experience would have been so much more traumatic—for both her and the other staff on the floor—had Louise not given generously of herself to provide the best care—the only care—the patient would accept.

This is only one of the many ways and many times when Louise has gone above and beyond to care for patients and her coworkers. She is kind, giving, and hardworking.