When trying to get the measure of pain before treating it, we'll often ask that number between one and ten be given, but when a patient is also in emotional pain, it's much more complex business. The intensity can be harder to define, and relief is beyond the reach of medication. Putting those difficulties aside, Stephanie Avalos took a stand between a patient and her suffering, and in her gratitude, that patient asked that Stephanie be given this DAISY Award.

Some time ago, Stephanie was on duty in our Neurology Unit when her patient was admitted with back pain she could only describe as chronic and off-the-scale. The woman had spent the previous ten hours in our Emergency Department pending the availability of a bed, and it was past midnight before her transfer to Neurology could be carried out. As Stephanie helped her settle in, it became clear that the patient was having difficulty adjusting to the potent medications she'd been given for pain. But beyond her exhaustion and disorientation, it was also apparent that the patient was troubled in mind and spirit.

In the patient's own words: "Stephanie didn't leave my room even though I knew she had plenty of other work to do. She saw the fear I had behind my pain, and before I knew it, all my worries just spilled out of me. I told her about the pain that never, ever stops, and my fear of not being able to provide for my young children because of it. Worse than that were my doubts about ever being the kind of mom my kids need. Stephanie knelt by me, took my hand, looked me in the eye, and gave me hope. This young nurse, wise beyond her years, knew exactly what I needed to hear and believe in that. It was like finding a friend in the darkness. Saint Alexius is blessed to have a nurse like her."

There are all kinds of pain in the world, some of it overwhelming. With luck, you might find a friend to help you fight back against that darkness. But if you're truly lucky, you'll find someone even better at your side. You'll find a nurse. And on a scale between one and ten, the best of them, like Stephanie, seem heaven-sent. We do feel blessed to have her, and luckily, more than a few quite like her.

Note: This is Stephanie's 2nd DAISY Award!