I am a critical care RN, and I know a great nurse who embodies the principles of our nursing profession. I have been a patient at the U of M transplant clinic for over a year. In the past 8 months, my liver has failed, and I was receiving weekly paracentesis in the procedure unit. Dawn has been my nurse each week. She has shown such compassion and empathy for me that it’s breathtaking. She always goes above and beyond, making sure I understand what is being done and why, and she does so in a way that makes me feel safe and secure in her care. She gets me multiple warm blankets and always makes sure that I have something to drink during the procedures. She literally gets me anything I ask for and anticipates my needs while advocating for my safe care. But more importantly, she facilitates my care by offering to help me make appointments and handle other necessary procedures.

For example, I frequently require injections, infusions, and transfusions. Normally, these procedures would require me to go to different hospital units, including the transfusion, infusion, and injection units. These are different areas of the hospital from the transplant clinic. Dawn always takes the initiative to arrange for her to give me injections, infusions, and transfusions while I am in her unit getting the paracenteses. This is very helpful to me as it would cause me to be in pain and uncomfortable traveling to other areas of the hospital after I’ve had paracentesis, which is very painful in and of itself.

A recent example of Dawn’s compassion and care is that I waited over an hour in the transplant clinic for an injection from a different nurse. It was lunch hour, and I was very uncomfortable, having already spent several hours in the clinic seeing various members of the transplant team. The procedure unit where Dawn is stationed is only 10 yards away from the room I was in in the transplant clinic. I went to Dawn and asked her if she could give me the injection since it had been over an hour since I was waiting, and I was so uncomfortable. Dawn readily agreed to do so, and I had the injection within five minutes of asking her.

Also, recently, I was in the hospital in the SICU and stepdown unit after my transplant. Dawn came to see me on many of the days I was in the hospital, brought me snacks and juice, and spent considerable time with me in my room, helping me, talking with me, and making sure I was doing well. I honestly believe that Dawn is one of the most compassionate and caring nurses who has changed my life and was sent to me by God when I was at my lowest