During my recent time at the Royal Hobart Hospital, I was deeply impacted by the outstanding care and teamwork demonstrated by the nurses in the Short Stay Surgical ward. Every nurse who cared for me showed personal interest in me as a patient and professionalism in performing the tasks that were required of them. The personal engagement was evidenced by nurses addressing me by name and connecting with me as a person.

In our society, it's sometimes easier not to consider the dignity of other people when relating to them in a professional capacity. In my experience at the SSS ward, however, I was valued. This matters because it really helped me recover. I was also deeply impressed by the professionalism of the nursing team over the course of my stay. This was evident not only in their thorough understanding of their roles as registered nurses but also in how the staff related to one another as a team. When my assigned nurse was already attending to a patient, it seemed as if it wasn't a problem for another nurse to tend to my needs. When my assigned nurse needed assistance from a more senior nurse, it wasn't a problem for the senior nurse to lend her oversight. Perhaps these things are typical for this team or for nursing in general, but having been involved in a number of teams in educational settings, I was genuinely impressed by how they functioned as a team.

There weren't nurses cutting corners, or being lazy, or not engaging with their patients. They didn't leave me waiting or leave me second-guessing how conversations with the specialists were going. Even though they were stretched during the busy periods of the day, they continued to front up together as a team and help me and other patients in the ward until the end of their shift. The SSS ward team really is a team. I wanted to write this feedback to encourage them in their work, and to thank them for doing so, not knowing if they are regularly encouraged or thanked by their patients. I know that the nurses are doing their job, but there is something special about the culture of this team, and it is something that everyone in this team should be proud of. Keep it up!