Misty made an enormous impact on my mental health experience. She is a co-worker, but she also supported me as a patient during a time when I was too stubborn to admit that I needed it. I was sent to urgent care, which turned into an ED admission for a psych eval.

I did not disclose when I left work my reasoning for leaving, but on my way to the ED, she saw me as she was leaving for the day. She asked me if I was okay, and in turn, I explained my situation. She offered to stay with me, and I declined. She did, however, continue to keep in contact as I waited to be seen. After about 3 hours, I got a tap on the shoulder, and Misty was there with crochet yarn, cards, and coloring books.

I explained to her that I was fine, and she didn't need to stay. She responded to me that she had family with similar mental health experiences. She told me that I should not have to wait alone. She sat with me for almost 5 hours, coloring and playing cards. We talked, and I completely felt at peace. We may be co-workers, but at the time, I was a patient in a very vulnerable time of my life. She truly understood the impact of feeling alone and empty.

The emergency room was very busy, but she "anticipated the needs of others" (me) and she was able to provide an outlet for my anxiety related to my upcoming psych eval and personal stressors. She kept me calm and cheerful in a dark, lonely time. I didn't think or want the company initially, but her empathy and personal experiences spoke to me. She made me feel seen and heard, lost in a world of role strains within a cold and unfamiliar ED environment.

Even though she worked with me all day, she returned when I became a patient. Even the next day, I felt warm and at ease despite my daily stressors. She is a true friend and an amazing and compassionate nurse who can truly understand the patient experience and use her bedside knowledge, self-experience, and compassionate heart to help a lonely and exhausted patient get through a lonely and dark time with grace and love.