Rainier has been a dedicated and loyal employee of UMC's Emergency Department for 24 years. Rainier delivers compassionate and competent care to all his patients regardless of their socioeconomic status or background, and he does it seamlessly with a smile on his face. On my rounds through the ED, I have witnessed the compassionate way in which he addresses his patients. I work in Labor & Delivery, and Rainier always volunteers to transfer patients who are coming from the ED to be evaluated on the 7th floor.

On one occasion, he transferred a pregnant patient to our floor who was coming from the ED for evaluation in Labor & Delivery. The patient looked like she had been crying. I brought her into triage, and then we went into the bathroom. I asked the patient if she was okay. The patient proceeded to tell me that she was really scared and stressed out, but thanks to the "nurse" who brought her up from ED, she felt better. She went on to tell me that Nurse Rainer made her feel acknowledged and safe and that he validated her fears, but, at the same time, he reassured her that she was in the best hospital. He told the patient that all the nurses and doctors here are the best and will do whatever is best for her and her baby. The patient said that after that, she felt so much better. Rainier is always polite and communicates well with other members of the interdisciplinary team throughout the hospital.