Saran's consistently positive, upbeat and humorous personality brings a smile to the veterans (and coworkers) she works with every day. She is a great example of a nurse who lives by the ICARE principles. She gets to know the veterans on TCU and finds out their personal likes. She develops a relationship and shows follow through with the veterans' issues - a true advocate. She is quick to offer to get them outside for a little bit of fresh air or on a trip with volunteer services if they are able, anything to help support the mental fortitude that is required to make it through a long hospital stay. She finds out the seemingly little things she can do for the vets and then follows through so they always feel cared about. She has provided cards for the staff to sign for veterans' birthdays or discharges. She is always finding the silver lining in a situation and strives to make her veterans smile every single day. She smiles, sings, laughs, jokes, and helps the veterans to remain positive when all they want to do is lay in bed with the blankets over their heads.
One specific example of this was with a 35-year-old veteran on our floor. This veteran, Mr. N, had a significant medical history and came to the TCU unable to move his extremities, talk, eat, or communicate. After a few weeks, Mr. N began to quickly improve - so much that he was able to feed himself food and walked 30 steps in the same day! This was a huge accomplishment for such a young man who had been in the hospital for months. It helped build his confidence and give him hope. Saran recognized this special day for Mr. N and decided to keep the positivity going! She quickly threw together a pizza party to celebrate. She ordered pizza and peanut butter cookies (a special treat for Mr. N since his wife is allergic to peanuts). She got all the staff involved and held the party in the dining hall so all were invited. Mr. N was so appreciative and excited. He really felt cared about. Saran's excellence in how she treats other humans is truly remarkable and a great source of pride for the TCU. She exudes positivity and her nursing care is truly special because of this.