Cindy Zarilla
July 2019
Cindy
Zarilla
,
RN
Renal, Vascular and General Surgery
University of Washington Medical Center
Seattle
,
WA
United States

 

 

 

Cindy is a compassionate nurse, a strong patient advocate, and holds high standards for both herself and her peers. She does an amazing job of connecting with patients and making them feel human. She is an excellent example of truly putting patients first. Cindy is a perfectionist. Honestly, none of us can live up to her standards. She cares for patients like they are her own family. She can get through to the most challenging patients and families who need her expert nursing care. She has an amazing ability to develop trusting relationships with them.
Cindy connects with her patients on a personal level. She listens to them, hears what is important in their lives, and uses that knowledge to create individualized care and teaching so they will thrive after they leave the hospital. She embodies the DAISY values with her vast nursing knowledge, genuine compassion for her patients, and true love of her profession. Cindy is the best patient advocate. She engages with patients on a deeply personal level. Her compassion is immeasurable.
***
For a very long period of my recovery, wound care was actively painful and a point of extreme stress. It was through the intervention and care of nurse Cindy that everything started to get better. She listened to my concerns, identified what was causing me pain during wound care, and wrote down instructions for future nurses to prevent any ill-treatment in the future. My heart rate, which had been steady in the 110s because of the pain my wound caused me, went below 90 for the first time after she changed my dressing. I am extremely grateful to her and am absolutely sure that my recovery would not have been nearly so smooth without her. She is my hero.
***
Congratulations Cindy! And on behalf of all the many patients whose lives you've changed, thank you!