My dad was hospitalized for 45 days in June 2024, until he passed away in July.  While he had congestive heart failure in the years leading up to this hospitalization, we expected him to defy the doctors' expectations and return home feeling good, as he had been doing for years.  That was not to be the case this time, and the doctors' prognosis left us reeling.   While he was in the hospital for 45 days, we had many wonderful and capable nurses in each of the units my dad was in.  However, one nurse stands out far above the crowd for being exceptional in every way.  

Jordan, from 4 East, was a beacon of hope, a shoulder to cry on (literally), an invaluable source of information, and a compassionate, funny, kind, and exceptional nurse. He was with us throughout this journey, and he was the bright spot in our days when we were lucky enough to have him assigned to my dad.  On days that he wasn't assigned to us, when he had time, he stopped by to check on my dad and us, to see if we needed anything and just to comfort us.  The last time we saw him was on the morning my dad passed away when he stopped by to check on my dad, and we were so grateful for his compassion, empathy, and kindness that day that we knew would be my dad's last.   

Our very first day with Jordan was our first full day out of the CCU, after my dad was transferred to 4 East.  Unfortunately, my dad was placed in a room with a man with a very loud, talkative wife and very large extended family who came early in the morning and stayed well into the evening.  It was difficult for my dad to rest with the noise they were making and impossible for him to get up to walk with his walker with the number of guests (adults and children) between his window-side of the room and the door.  We did not complain, but by afternoon, Jordan recognized how challenging this situation was for my dad and realized he could not get any rest in this room as he continued to recover.  Jordan, on his own and without us even having to request it, arranged for my dad to be moved to a quieter room.  This was just the first of many endearing acts that Jordan would perform for our family.  

Whenever we had a question about medications, symptoms, or anything else, Jordan took the time to fully address our concerns, offer insight and education, and find out the answer or get the doctor/nurse practitioner to stop by if he couldn't answer it himself.  He was an invaluable resource for us.  That first day, Jordan took the time to fully educate my dad on the need for fluid restriction and offered tips for combatting his thirstiness, which was a great help to my very thirsty dad.   He was the first to address this with him and take it seriously.   Another day, he listened to my concerns about symptoms we thought might be fluid starting to build up and immediately paged the nurse practitioner to come to address them.  When he couldn't get a reply, he left the unit to go look for her to get this addressed quickly.  His attentiveness in this and every other situation brought to his attention is to be commended.  Jordan took us seriously and never made us feel silly for our questions or concerns.  He was a cheerleader for my dad when he was able to get up and move around, encouraging and at times coercing (in a funny way) him to get up out of the chair and walking, knowing it would help my dad in the long run.  

Jordan knew that my dad, a farmer who spent every day outside, missed the fresh air and sunshine, so he offered to arrange for my dad to go outside and sit on the patio to bask in the feel of the sunshine on his face after being in the hospital for so long.  While my dad was touched and appreciated Jordan's offer more than words can say, it was towards the end of his hospitalization when he was in a lot of pain, so he regretfully declined, knowing the movement from bed to wheelchair would probably be extremely painful and exhausting.  For Jordan to be empathetic enough to recognize that yearning for the outdoors in my dad and try to make this happen for him was incredible and meant the world to us.  

Jordan was not only there for my dad, the patient; he was also there for us as a family.  After a particularly difficult conversation with the doctors, Jordan could tell I was struggling.  He quietly let me cry at the nurses' station, offering me support and compassion, and then he talked it all through with me to help me come to terms with it all.  This happened on more than one occasion, and each time, he was patient, kind, and insightful.  His compassion and professionalism are to be commended.  He was a bright light in our darkest hours, and we will always be grateful for his knowledge, his kindness, and his professionalism.  He is a credit to UVA Health and to 4 East, and we were blessed to have him as my dad's nurse.