I arrived in the ICU late in the evening after complex revisional spinal surgery. It was a difficult operation with significant known risks, which had made me quite anxious prior to the procedure. It also took longer than anticipated (about 7 hours), which meant that my wife had to leave the hospital before I was able to see her in order to make the last transport to her arranged accommodation. I became steadily more aware, but was in considerable discomfort and anxious to learn more about the outcomes of the operation (exacerbated by oxygen tubes and several cannulas) and nauseous low blood pressure. I was also receiving excellent care from my assigned nurse, though perhaps struggling to communicate a little as a result of the operation, the absence of my usual hearing aids, and since the nurse was not a native English speaker. Lucy was then assigned to look after me whilst my primary nurse went on a break at about 2 am. She immediately noticed that some deep anxiety lurked under the brave façade I had put on and came over to ask how I was really doing and feeling in a way that I could easily engage with, putting me immediately at ease. She then exhibited great professionalism by taking time to read through my entire case history and notes before determining how best to tackle my physical and mental health needs. Having familiarised herself fully, she returned and removed the oxygen tubes, which were really irritating me and making me anxious, noting that I had strong baseline fitness and helping me to relax a little and become a bit more comfortable. We then just spent the best time of chatting, where she exhibited the understated skill and art behind any great nurse, in my opinion - strong, active listening. More than anything, I needed to talk to better process what I’d just been through and to contemplate the likely results of this first stage operation in a logical way, whilst trying to recover better. Lucy provided that essential sounding board just when I needed and by the time she handed me back to my primary carer, I was in a far better state of mind and more comfortable physical state. Thank you, Lucy, for going the extra mile and for working with your expert colleagues to make that first experience of ICU so positive and recuperative.