Peter O'Neill
October 2023
Peter
O'Neill
,
RN, BSN
Emergency Room
St. Joseph's Hospital
Bethpage
,
NY
United States

 

 

 

The fact that this patient remembered Peter's dog and their connection so strongly to purchase these treats, write a note, and deliver them to the hospital demonstrates the very significant impact Peter had on their patient.
Two weeks ago, when Peter & some of his co-workers were presented with a Golden Key in the ED, he shared a very special story with me. I feel privileged to share with this committee for consideration. He explained that he wanted to share this story because it made him feel special and valued. Peter said that it is so important to make a connection when caring for a patient & he made a connection with a very anxious woman by speaking about the dog he had rescued by the name of Tilly. This connection led to a trusting nurse-patient relationship so the highest level of care could take place. Sadly, Peter's dog passed away in January, however, in June, one of the ED security guards asked him if he had a dog named Tilly. Perplexed, Peter replied he did, at which point the security guard handed him a bag of dog treats with a note from this patient thanking Peter for taking such good care of her & look at what she found - the treats were called "Tilly's Treats". She said she had to buy them for Peter's dog, Tilly. What a wow moment! The fact that this patient remembered Peter's dog and their connection so strongly to purchase these treats, write a note, and deliver them to the hospital demonstrates the very significant impact Peter had on their patient. Peter then showed me the photo of the treats, and we both got a bit teary. These small moments of connection are so very impactful, and this example illustrates how profound the human connection can be when nurses like Peter are as compassionate and caring as he is in his role.