My brother was in ICU at St. Anthony's Lakewood. The empathetic, skilled level of care that we received from everyone involved truly surprised and supported us at every step through his stay.  From the first call I got from the ICU at about midnight right through to his final moments, we were treated with care and respect.

His primary nurse, Laurel, was amazing.  She was constantly moving around his room, monitoring numbers on all the machines that were hooked up to him.  Considering his multiple organ failure, there were many.  In spite of that, she was always cheerful and positive, and she was always ready to answer our questions and explain in detail what was going on with him.  At one point, she even drew a picture of a heart on the whiteboard in the room to help us clearly understand what was going on.  She was very patient and caring with us while always looking after my brother’s emotional needs as well as his physical needs.  She made sure he had football games on the TV even when he didn't appear conscious because we told her how much he loved football.  She also talked to him continually.  We appreciated her lively sense of humor, which was in sync with what we needed at the time.  We always try to find humor within tragedy.

She didn't give us false hope, but she also didn't leave us hopeless.  She stayed with us as his physical condition would get better and then worse.  It was quite a roller coaster for a while.  She made sure there was room for me, my sister, and my sister-in-law in his room at all times since we were his only remaining close family.  

The whole staff also welcomed the many visitors who came to visit and then said their goodbyes.  While we were there mostly during the daytime, other friends were there with him through the nights, and they also remarked on the quality of care given by the other nurses.

Interestingly enough, Laurel was back on staff for the day we took him off life support.  It just seemed so fitting to have her there.  She explained everything from beginning to end and made the process as smooth and easy as it possibly could be under the circumstances.  She even gave us cards with one of his last heartbeats on them.  We had a beautiful service in his room, and he died peacefully with his closest friends and family with him.  If it had to happen, it honestly couldn't have happened any better than it did.

My sisters and I were absolutely amazed at what can be done medically for patients in ICU.  We've been lucky enough not to have too much exposure to hospitals so we were impressed by the advances that have been made in medical science.

For these reasons, we believe Laurel is a DAISY Nurse.