Joseph Sheehan
June 2026
Joseph
Sheehan
,
BSN, RN
University of Chicago Medical Center
Chicago
,
IL
United States
I cannot describe how much it meant to wake up, look at the board, and see "RN: Joseph." It made me feel like the day was going to be okay.
Joe came into my life during one of the scariest moments I can remember.
After four days at home with fevers and severe headaches, I came to the ER frightened, exhausted, and unsure of what was happening. By the time I arrived on 4 Northeast, I was overwhelmed and scared. Then Joe walked in.
He introduced himself as my RN and immediately reassured me that he was going to take great care of me. And he did. From that first moment, Joe made me feel safe, seen, and genuinely cared for.
Over the past three days, Joe has become one of the brightest parts of my hospital stay. I have not been the easiest patient and have been constantly asking for water, complaining, making very Gen Z jokes he definitely did not understand, and sometimes just feeling sad and scared. But Joe met every moment with patience, kindness, and quiet steadiness.
I cannot describe how much it meant to wake up, look at the board, and see "RN: Joseph." It made me feel like the day was going to be okay.
Joe helped me through vulnerable and embarrassing moments with such dignity and compassion, including helping me safely get to the bathroom when I felt weak. He never made me feel like a burden.
He also found ways to make ordinary moments lighter, whether through small conversations or bonding over the surprisingly amazing Panera M&M cookies.
Before this hospitalization, I do not think I fully understood how deeply nurses shape the patient experience. Joe changed that for me. He is attentive, kind, gentle, thoughtful, and deeply human. He made a frightening hospital stay feel less lonely.
Joe is everything you could hope for in a nurse, and truly everything you could hope for in a person. I cannot imagine my experience at UChicago Medicine without him.
After four days at home with fevers and severe headaches, I came to the ER frightened, exhausted, and unsure of what was happening. By the time I arrived on 4 Northeast, I was overwhelmed and scared. Then Joe walked in.
He introduced himself as my RN and immediately reassured me that he was going to take great care of me. And he did. From that first moment, Joe made me feel safe, seen, and genuinely cared for.
Over the past three days, Joe has become one of the brightest parts of my hospital stay. I have not been the easiest patient and have been constantly asking for water, complaining, making very Gen Z jokes he definitely did not understand, and sometimes just feeling sad and scared. But Joe met every moment with patience, kindness, and quiet steadiness.
I cannot describe how much it meant to wake up, look at the board, and see "RN: Joseph." It made me feel like the day was going to be okay.
Joe helped me through vulnerable and embarrassing moments with such dignity and compassion, including helping me safely get to the bathroom when I felt weak. He never made me feel like a burden.
He also found ways to make ordinary moments lighter, whether through small conversations or bonding over the surprisingly amazing Panera M&M cookies.
Before this hospitalization, I do not think I fully understood how deeply nurses shape the patient experience. Joe changed that for me. He is attentive, kind, gentle, thoughtful, and deeply human. He made a frightening hospital stay feel less lonely.
Joe is everything you could hope for in a nurse, and truly everything you could hope for in a person. I cannot imagine my experience at UChicago Medicine without him.