Sarah Brown
November 2019
Sarah
Brown
,
BSN, RN
4A Medicine Unit
Audie L. Murphy Memorial VA Hospital
San Antonio
,
TX
United States

 

 

 

Nurse Brown stands out because she showed compassion and displayed a warm feeling of caring, the first time she introduced herself to me and my wife.
Nurse Brown went the extra mile in the following areas:
Medications: Besides making sure my medications were taken on schedule, she also answered the questions my wife and I had regarding drug interactions. If she did not have the answers, she told us she would check with the doctor or pharmacist. She followed up after finding out the answers and gave us a thorough explanation. She always made sure I had plenty of ice and water in the room while she was on duty. She didn't seem too bothered to do it; it was just automatic for her to do it.
Here are some of the examples of the little things that sometimes go unnoticed but say and means a lot to a patient/person:
When she came into the room, she always greeted you with a sincere smile;
She would stand close to your bed, so you could hear her;
She asked you if you needed help in going to the restroom;
She asked my wife if she needed a guest tray;
When my wife asked Nurse Brown if she could spend the night with me in the room, she offered to bring a cot or recliner. She even brought extra blankets.
On one occasion, my food was not as hot as I preferred, and I mentioned it to Nurse Brown. Without any hesitation, she took my plate and heated it up in the microwave and returned it to me "hot" to ensure I enjoyed my meal;
She encouraged me to walk around the floor and would come into my room and ensure I did not have anything connected to me that may inhibit my ability to walk;
Lastly, she would ask if we wanted the light on or off in the room when she came in, especially at night.
I know that I was not the only patient Nurse Brown was responsible for on the floor; however, she sure made me feel like I was the only one there.