I am very grateful for all the unit nurses’ compassion, communication, and care during my hospital stay. I felt like they really cared, and they worked hard to help me. Celeste was an extraordinary RN on the day when I was at my lowest place during my hospitalization.

After the early morning unit introductions to patients, Celeste returned to my room. We talked about why I was so down and what she could do to help make some positive changes. My first wish was to get out of that bed after three days.

Then Celeste did something I will never forget. She made a true difference in my attitude, my effort, and eventually in my recovery. She wrote some words on the glass “bulletin board” bathroom door and waved goodbye as she left my room. On the “bulletin board” I read:

“Goals for the Day”
And the last goal was:
“Make her feel human again.”

What an extraordinary thing to do.

This simple sentence reached out and grabbed me, and I realized that Celeste was going to help me — and she was going to help me help myself. I will always be grateful that Celeste treated me with kindness and respect. She supported me during frustrations and fears. She encouraged me to meet positively the problems we could solve, such as sitting in a chair and walking the 8–10 steps to the bathroom. Celeste was always respectful, even during several embarrassing experiences.

Now that I am home, I value Celeste’s honesty and professionalism more than I recognized during my hospitalization. Celeste is committed to nursing. She is committed to healing. She also made it clear to me that I needed to follow instructions so I would not be injured. And for 12 hours she worked hard to make a difference in my health.

Celeste did make a difference in my life, because she wanted to “make me feel human again.”