I am Agent O, 100% permanently disabled, 83 year old, Vietnam veteran suffering from heart failure, kidney failure, prostate cancer, bladder cancer, and being treated for stroke prevention. On April 22nd, I found myself in a room at Abrazo Arizona Heart Hospital. Feeling helpless among well meaning strangers, who offer expertise and an occasional smile, provides little reassurance that one is safely in the hands of trustworthy caregivers. And then, out of the blue, nurse Justine appeared and filled my safe feeling void with her warm, reassuring voice, friendly gestures and genuine concern.

I experienced that wonderful feeling of being rescued from a helpless situation by someone whom I could trust. Nurse Justine selflessly demonstrates an extraordinary ability to evoke feelings of trust from her patients and their families. She patiently listens, offers encouragement and reassurance, and an optimistic forward-looking outcome for her patient’s challenges.

She makes you feel that she was created to be there for you, in this time, when you are feeling so helpless. She brings joy to the face of her patients and their families. Nurse Justine is a role model for other nurses, and nursing cultures, because of her ability to bond with patients and their families. This is what creates that powerful trusting feeling that has always been the hallmark of the nursing profession.
***
Justine went above and beyond. She is like an angel.