I wanted to give a shout-out to Elvia for something that really stayed with me during our shift on Sunday. I had an admit from PACU, a 19-year-old non-verbal patient with cerebral palsy and developmental delay who only understood Spanish. He had just had a VP shunt revision. His grandma, who is also his legal guardian, spoke only Spanish as well. I used an interpreter to complete my assessment and to learn how to best communicate with both of them.

After I finished what I needed to do and moved on to my next task, I noticed a nurse in the patient's room. I walked in to see if she needed anything, and that's when I learned what she had discovered. She found out that the grandmother hadn't eaten all day and didn't have any money for food. Elvia took the time to listen to the story of how she became the patient's guardian. It was a very sad and difficult situation that I wouldn't have known about because of the language barrier. Without hesitation, Elvia went down to the cafeteria to buy her something to eat, and she and a CNA worked together to get a free guest tray set up for her as well.

When everything was settled, I talked with Elvia and noticed she was a little emotional. The amount of compassion she had for this patient and his grandma was honestly so touching really grateful she was able to connect with the family in a way I couldn't, and for the kindness and empathy she showed them. Elvia was such a wonderful example of the heart behind nursing. I am thankful to be working alongside such a wonderful person.