Rachel Gilligan
May 2019
Rachel
Gilligan
,
RGN
Our Ladys Ward
Mater Misericordiae University Hospital
Dublin 7
Ireland

 

 

 

I would like to thank and nominate this staff nurse. She is a new grad nurse who recently went the extra mile for a patient on the ward. The patient was an elderly man who had no family or friends and was dying. She spent a lot of her time comforting this man and went the extra mile on her night duty by bringing him in some of his favourite treats and some home comforts, which really lifted his spirits and put a smile on his face at such a difficult time. Rachel showed a good example of going the extra mile for her patient, and not only this time, but she is also always very pleasant to her patients and laughter is always heard from her room.
***
Recently we had an elderly patient on St. Ward who was dying from a terminal illness. He had no family or friends in the whole world. Rachel was on night duty and spent time with this man so he would not be alone at this time. As busy as she was, she would write up her notes at his bedside and speak to him and comfort him. She asked him numerous times "is there anything or anyone I can get for you?" He said, "All I'd like is gin and tonic or a pint". So, once she cleared it with medical staff, Rachel went out before her duty to buy him some cans of Guinness and brought them in for him and helped him have a drink. This meant so much to him and he enjoyed it immensely. Rachel treated this man with care, comfort, compassion, and dignity but most of all as the person he was.