My mother is 91 years old and afraid of hospitals. She was anxious and very nervous to be admitted. My mother received the BEST care on PCU, and she would like to thank each of you for the wonderful care she received. Each nurse and CNA was caring and attentive.

My mom’s fears were alleviated upon her admission to PCU, after she was settled in her bed and after she was introduced to our day shift RN, Gabriel. He is an extraordinary nurse with a gentle manner, a bright smile, an open and welcoming attitude, and he is very competent and knowledgeable. Gabriel engaged with the family and connected with the hospitalists caring for my mother. He promoted a plan of care and carried it through. He kept my mother and our family connected to the plan of care and goals. Nursing interventions that were promoted to increase comfort were initiated.

My mother was happy when she received Gabriel as her nurse the next day, and she voiced her appreciation for his care and bedside manner. He’s always smiling brightly. Gabriel, you are a source of inspiration to us all.

****

Best nurse ever. Y’all need so much more of him. Pure excellence!

*****

Unfortunately, my Dad was admitted to the hospital in mid-February with a number of health issues that had been getting worse over time. After extensive testing and numerous transfusions, he was eventually admitted to hospice care, where he passed peacefully. After initially being admitted to the general care area of the hospital, my Dad was moved down to the PCU. This is where Gabriel comes in.

Being moved to the PCU was not the news he had been hoping for, so his spirits were not particularly high. However, during the intake process, Gabriel’s charisma and general good nature won my Dad over to the point that, throughout my Dad’s prolonged stay in the PCU, he would always refer to Gabriel as the best they (the hospital) had. This was why, in my Dad’s mind, Gabriel was frequently assigned to his room.

The evenings were also particularly rough for my Dad, as he would hallucinate and frequently become agitated with the staff. While I’m sure Gabriel bore a good amount of this, my Dad’s words in the morning were always heaping praise on him for how things were handled and apologizing for not being his best self.

Gabriel’s consistency and communicative nature were also a godsend during what was an incredibly hard time for our family. With my Dad’s numerous visitors, his name always came up positively, from visiting family to the casual friend who would stop in to say hi. As I mentioned at the start, my Dad’s stay was fairly long in the PCU, so we had the opportunity to experience multiple rotations of staff, and Gabriel always stood out among a staff that provided amazing care throughout.

While I’m sure short memories are a requirement for the work nursing staff do, I can say without question that Gabriel made a lasting impression on our entire family during what ended up being the final weeks of my father’s life. Thank you for being a remarkable human being and for taking pride in your profession.