I was admitted through the ED after presenting chest pains and high blood pressure. My husband had died suddenly in November. His memorial service was scheduled for a few days after I was admitted. I was scheduled for a cardiac Cath the day before the service. Jessica was my nurse for both days. She was very empathetic to my grief. She brought in a sympathy card on our second day together, and many of the staff on the floor signed it with a kind note.

Jessica promised that she would do everything possible to get me out of the hospital that evening so I could attend my husband's service the next day. She even stayed for an hour past her 12-hour shift to ensure all the paperwork was completed quickly so that I could leave between 8 and 9 pm. I trusted that she would take care of it all, and that definitely reduced my high stress level.

Unfortunately, I had a reaction to the anesthesia from the cardiac Cath and I had to stay overnight. I don’t even know the name of the nurse who took care of me overnight, but again, the staff went out of their way to get me discharged by 8-9am so I could get home and be ready for my sad day.

I appreciated the special care of all the staff and their commitment to my care under very difficult circumstances.