Shane Andrews and his shadow, S, came to the bedside of a patient of mine today to do a blood draw. This young man is autistic, non-verbal, and has a history of physical and sexual abuse. He was transferred to us by another hospital, where he had spent several days in restraints and given IM injections. He was scared, confused, and traumatized. I met Shane and S in the hall outside the room and gave them a brief description of the patient and the things that would likely need to happen for us to be able to complete it safely. Neither batted an eye. They were so kind and willing to be flexible, and I cannot adequately describe the gratitude I have for how they approached this patient's care.

They entered the room with me calmly and quietly. They were kind, gentle, and patient. At one point, they both sat on the floor with me and the patient as he cried and rocked back and forth. Shane gently and carefully tried twice to assess the patient's veins, and each time the patient began to get scared and pulled away, he stopped, reassured the patient, and told me to take my time trying to help the patient be safe and calm. There was no rush, no irritation, and it was the absolute epitome of trauma-informed, patient-centered care. So from the bottom of my heart, kudos to Shane and S.