I ended up in the hospital for a period of four days with acute diverticulitis with perforation and abscess in my colon. In all honesty, I was absolutely terrified when they admitted me. I’m terrified to have surgery, and I’m not one who ever wants to be in the hospital at all. I try to avoid getting medical care if at all possible because I’ve had some bad experiences in the past.

Emily was my nurse three out of the four days I was in the hospital. When she came into my room for the first time, she was such a breath of fresh air. She wasn’t there to check my vitals or give me medicine; she wanted to come in, introduce herself, and see how I was doing. It really felt like I was talking to a friend who genuinely cared about me. Most of the time, when you’re in the hospital, you feel like another patient, and the nurses go through the motions checking vitals, passing meds, etc., but Emily was so different. Her positive attitude and outlook on life were infectious, and her sweet personality was so refreshing.

Over the course of the next few days, I was having a really difficult time mentally just being in the hospital. I missed my family and my home; I missed normality. Emily came in on the last day I was there, and she knew and could tell I was so upset because I was so ready to go home. She really saw me at my worst, so vulnerable and raw, but she did nothing but show me compassion and was truly concerned about my well-being. I remember she stayed in the room with me for a while until I stopped crying and pulled myself together, and she reassured me that she would do everything possible to help get me home as soon as possible. It meant so much to me that she just stayed with me and listened. As a nurse, I know she had a million other things to do, but she truly wanted to make sure I was okay.

That same morning, I also had a situation where my IV was badly infiltrated. I had mentioned to the staff on the night shift that it was burning my arm, but the night nurse never came in to check on it, so I just dealt with the pain. As soon as Emily was in that morning, she immediately came to check on my IV and saw that it had infiltrated. She immediately took it out and was very concerned about my arm because it was extremely swollen. She brought me a pillow to prop my arm up and a hot pack to help with the burning pain. She checked on me several times throughout the day to ensure it was okay and that I was feeling all right. I hadn’t put my call light on asking for anything. She would just come to check on me out of the kindness of her heart.  

This is starting to become a book, but I cannot say enough nice things about Emily. I feel like I would have gone crazy in that hospital room had it not been for her simple acts of kindness. I can assure you that there is no one more deserving of this award and honor. Emily is exactly what every single nurse should strive to be. She not only made a major impact on my life through her top-notch care, but she also left a lasting impression on my heart due to her selflessness and compassion. The world needs more people like her, and I’m incredibly grateful to have been her patient. She truly cares about her patients and wants the best for them. She is just a beautiful human inside and out, and Parkview should be very honored to have her as part of their team. One of the last things I told Emily before I left the hospital was, “God knew what he was doing when he made you a nurse.” She is truly the absolute best.