I would like to thank my nurse and share my story of why this nurse is so special. Shova Kandel, RN, was my evening nurse on the Telemetry unit at Baylor Scott & White Hospital in Irving, Texas.

One evening, I began experiencing uncontrolled cardiac chest pains due to multiple diagnosed coronary arteries that were severely blocked. As the night grew longer, the angina became increasingly worse, which necessitated Shova's detailed involvement to spend a great deal of time by my bedside. None of the prescriptive medications provided any substantial relief.

Shova would not accept "no" for an answer and would not turn her back to walk away. She kept continuously providing all of her professional nursing skills, as well as her personal involvement. She did not give up or leave my bedside. I felt hopeless as the pain continued to worsen into the night.

Shova still demonstrated loving care and compassion with her "special spirit of caring." Shova was very reassuring with her soothing personal touch and soft-spoken words of encouragement. She was very affectionate, kind, and compassionate towards my painful experience. She demonstrated great empathy in her care of my situation. Shova was very patient in her role as a caretaker over the many hours she cared for me.

I am personally very appreciative of Shova. She provided the characteristics found in the Bible in the parable about the Good Samaritan. She demonstrated what it is to be willing to go the "extra mile." She looked after my every need that night.

Shova made the most memorable impressions with her words and phrases that continually provided peace and reassurance. These are the ones I especially remember from that night together as she continuously encouraged me through the pain: "It will be alright", I'm sorry....I'm so sorry", and "I'm here with you. I am not leaving your side."

As I heard her speak, I knew I could trust her to help me. I placed all my faith in her during my deepest hour of need. Words of assurance and her comforting personal touch were much more valuable at that moment than any medication could provide. This is what true nursing is all about. It's personal, warm, loving, and comes from a caring spirit.

Shova also knew when to call others for help and additional resources. During her care, she involved the doctors on her phone to advise them of my declining health and to ask for permission to dispense additional medications.

Shova was multitasking across many disciplines at the same time and did a masterful job of managing them successfully. She asked the doctors for additional suggestions for treatment to help ease the situation based on my condition, as previously tried solutions had not provided the expected relief.

The touches of her hand and her continued words of encouragement to me during the most severe pain levels of "10 out of 10" were so helpful and reassuring. When I was lying in bed, and nothing had worked for hours, Shova sensed the personal needs that the existing medicine did not provide.

Shova demonstrated leadership and made the best choices of what I needed most. Her special spirit of caring and her human touch were remarkable and provided the needed confidence.

I hope you will recognize her excellence and award her an exceptional job, worthy of praise for her outstanding work. She is a very valuable team member. Her skills and talents were amazing.