I am a Cancer patient who was admitted to the hospital without expecting it for the flu. For my stay, I was kept in isolation to prevent the spread to or from me. During the 7 pm-7 am shifts, Maria was my nurse for two nights. When she got in, she came right in at the start of the shift to check in. During that time, I had been incredibly nauseous and needed the anti-nausea med that was prescribed for me at the hospital. As soon as I let Maria know, she came back in just a couple of minutes and gave me the med and relief I needed.

Throughout the rest of the night, her attentiveness remained consistent and was always a pleasure. At the end of the shift, she brought the other nurse in to give report and see how I was doing. By night two, she knew there would be nothing on TV, and when she noticed, she offered to bring me a book so I could read if there wasn’t anything on. I love reading and was going a bit stir crazy. This bit of kindness made a world of a difference and has continued to do so for my stay.

What I can’t capture in an excerpt is the genuine and empathetic way in which Maria interacts with her patients and those around her. Her conversation and questions were genuine, and you can without a doubt tell that she loves her work and that she cares about what she is doing with her patients. Her nature makes an absolute difference in the day of her patients, and it was greatly appreciated by me. She was nothing short of being beyond exceptional.