A message was left for the manager to give the patient a call back, and when she did, the caller identified himself as a patient. He started the conversation by stating that he wanted to speak to someone in charge to make sure that we were aware of the tremendous person we had working for us. At that moment, the patient broke into tears. He stated that his partner of 15 years had died while he was in the hospital. He could not attend the funeral or grieve. The comfort and compassion that this nurse provided to him on that first visit were exactly what the doctor had ordered. The patient stated that he has been hospitalized many times and has had many nurses and doctors care for him, but no one has ever shown him this much compassion and empathy. The patients wanted this to be acknowledged. This is just one example of this nurse’s excellence in the community, not only with medical needs but with her ability to treat the entire individual with a comprehensive approach. The care that is given to each patient is specific and individual to the needs of the patient.

Another patient commented, "This nurse was very knowledgeable and thorough in her exam. The patient was very confident that he was being treated by a professional. She was polite, nice, and punctual, and dealing with her was a very good experience.”

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