I was sent to the NGMC Gainesville ER via Urgent Care at Sherwood with suspected Diverticulitis.  CT Scan confirmed and also showed a rupture of the diverticula and a perforated colon, and I was admitted to N5G. My digestive system was in shock and was not working, and I was in a lot of pain and discomfort.  My stomach was distended, and they quickly realized nothing was passing through my stomach into my intestines. Between the backup and the air, the discomfort got worse, and they informed me I might need an NG Tube. 

After describing what that was, I was filled with anxiety. Jackie Summers, RN, was the weekend night nurse and could not have been more comforting.  She explained the process, sat with me, and walked me through the purpose of the NG Tube and the relief it would bring me.  She did not sugarcoat the process that would be uncomfortable but instead properly prepared me for something I was clearly anxious about. According to my daughter (my recollection is somewhat hazy), Jackie went into the hall before placing the tube and prayed for her skills that they would be good enough to do this procedure with as little discomfort to me as possible. When it came time, Jackie was incredible.  She walked me through in detail everything that was going to happen and was as compassionate as a human being can be to another. I realize that in the grand scheme of things, *this procedure is not major...however, I was gripped with fear just thinking about how it would feel.

Jackie calmed me down and then started.  It was to me as bad as I imagined, but she was incredible. Once inserted and I was beyond the initial phase, everything Jackie told me came true.  While uncomfortable, the relief was immediate.  Within hours, my stomach was less distended, and the start of my healing had begun.  I nominate Jackie for this award not because she performed some major task that no one else could do. To the professionals, this was simple, but to me, it was the biggest deal. Jackie recognized my anxiety, saw the fear in me, and performed this simple task with the care of a best friend. The gentle nature of her voice and her empathetic nature made the process easier. Jackie's natural style and compassion for her patients were amazingly clear. She performed her duties well, but how she performed them with a loving touch was evidence of her passion for helping people.

Immediately after the tube was in, she sat with me as I got used to the uncomfortable feeling of a tube down my throat and coming out my nose. She gently rubbed my hand and, with the softest inflection, let me know she prayed for me...it was the most relaxed I had felt since the pain struck me the day before. She only works weekends, and I did not see her for the rest of my stay (5 more days). Some of the week was a blur to me, but I will never forget how Jackie made me feel and I cannot thank her enough. My daughter and I joked later that week as we walked the halls of the hospital that there really was no Jackie...she was an Angel that I had imagined. Well, she might be an Angel, but she is real and extremely good at the untaught skills of nursing. She demonstrates a real ability to bring comfort to a patient beyond the medicine and medical procedures designed to do the same. It may just be her job, but its my health and I am grateful that she was on duty when I arrived.