I am a fellow RN here at Kaiser, and I was able to witness such a beautiful thing that Elliott did for one of his patients.

His patient came in, an elderly man whose wife was worried about him and called 911. They were tired, and the husband had extra grief hidden in his expression because it was his wife's birthday, yet here they were in the cold room of an ER, unsure what the next few hours were going to reveal.

The patient only mentioned it was his wife’s birthday in passing, but that was enough for Elliott to understand he had an opportunity to make a great difference in this patient’s care. Once Elliott gave a report to the oncoming nurse and clocked out, he took it upon himself to go outside and harvest a small, modest bouquet of wildflowers to give to the husband, so that he may present them to his wife.

Elliott took the time to gather them neatly in a bouquet, even adding a soft ribbon to gather them in a beautiful way. When the wife stepped out of the room to speak with another member of the staff, Elliott seized the opportunity to sneak back into the patient’s room and present him with this bouquet. The patient’s eyes said it all; he gently and graciously accepted the bouquet and hid it beneath his blankets so he could surprise his wife at the right time.

The patient thanked Elliott over and over, grateful to have something to present to his wife. It wasn’t about the flowers, but the act of kindness that Elliott bestowed on this patient without being asked.

Elliott is a kind and thoughtful nurse; I am proud to know him.