Ever since I was diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma about 4 years ago, I've spent quite a bit of time in various hospitals. I was recently in the hospital for almost a month, an admission during which I nearly died from a combination of a fungal infection in my bloodstream and acute liver failure. While all of the nurses who took care of me during that frightening time were nice, one of my nurses, Hannah, stood out above the others.
On a professional level, she did an excellent job taking care of me. She was always on time with my medications and was always available via the call button. She made an effort to be in the room when my physicians were rounding on me so that she was familiar with the plan of care and knew what we were doing as well as the rationale for why we were doing it. Hannah wasn't afraid to ask questions during rounds if there was anything that was unclear, either.
On a personal level, she took the time to come sit with me when my family couldn't be there. She asked me questions about myself and we had several meaningful conversations during my time in the hospital. As the hospital opened more floors after Hurricane Delta passed, Hannah was reassigned to her home floor, but she still took time out of her day (after her shifts) to come to check in on me a couple of times while I was still in the hospital. She genuinely cared about how I was doing, and her actions reflected that.
I have somewhat of a unique perspective on the healthcare system because - in addition to being a cancer patient - I'm also a radiologist. I've seen the system fairly extensively from both sides of the bed, and I was thoroughly impressed with Hannah on both a professional and a personal level.