I arrived the day AFTER ERs hit a record for volume, which means the hospital must have been full for days. If I was tired from being sick, these nurses had to be exhausted from caring for all these patients during the holiday flu season. Sheryl and Joaquin welcomed me upon my evening arrival with cheer, positivity, and empathy. Not too loud for the late check-in, but enough to make me feel welcomed after 13 hours in the ER and more in the waiting room. Joaquin understood my anxiety about not having my CPAP and set me up with O2 flow and adjusted my sleeping position. Both were so sweet in how they treated me towards the end of their shift. Roseann exuded momma bear love when she had to wake me for nighttime meds. Even when frustrated by the IV pump, she quietly worked through the issues. Even if Odessa had to step in while Roseann was on break, Roseanne would check in later to make sure I was okay. New guy Kevin was friendly, gentle, and deftly worked through day shift weekend rounds while being friendly enough to talk about his move to the Bay Area. Taking the time to be friendly and not clinically busy goes a long way to easing the isolation of being away from home comforts. I only expect to be here two nights, so my exposure to this team is limited, but I'm always struck by how KIND the staff are working in an institution as large and potentially nameless as Kaiser.