Rafael was extremely caring. He visited his patient frequently to make sure she felt ok and didn’t need anything. Anything she needed was taken care of right away. He knelt by the bed and spoke softly, close to her ear because she was hard of hearing. He held her hand.

When she complained about the Blue Bunny ice cream, he said he would stop on the way in and get some Blue Bell for her. They exchanged one-liner jokes all day. It was so nice to see her so cheerful and so sharp. It was a high point of her stay, and so reassuring to us that she was so well cared for and having fun.

While she was there, she shared with Rafael that someone she knew had been mean to her. His face clouded up, and he reported the conversation to his supervisor, who contacted APS to follow up. We, the charge nurse and an administrator, met with the APS social worker, and Rafael stood in the doorway, emotional.

His kindness and caring were well beyond what we might have expected. He cared deeply for her, and his caring and compassion showed clearly all over his face. She passed away on December 31st, and remembering those days sharing one-liners with Rafael is a great comfort to us. He is an amazing nurse.