I am so grateful that my mother had Eduard as her nurse the day after her knee replacement surgery. He calmed her when she was anxious and frustrated. He listened to her patiently and with genuine care as she expressed fears about her recovery process. He educated her, communicating clearly about what he was doing for her and why. He used regular, everyday words that my mother, with no medical experience, could understand. He was encouraging and made her promise to herself that she wouldn’t give up, that she’d push herself to exercise and get stronger. He was compassionate and caring when she cried because she was feeling down about not being able to do things she used to do. In fact, she cried talking about how amazing Eduard was with her.

As a Director of Nursing, I found myself thinking many times that I wish I had 10 nurses like Eduard on my team. He is the kind of nurse you want to take care of your patients because you can sleep at night knowing he has the knowledge, experience, and heart for people to trust that the patients in your facility will leave happy because there is someone there who gave them top-notch care with love. He is the kind of nurse I strive to be. I have never experienced a nurse like Eduard in my 17 years in healthcare. I feel blessed to have had him caring for my mother during a time when she needed genuine kindness.

Thank you so much, Eduard, for being that soft place my mother needed to start her journey of healing her body, mind, and soul. In just a few hours, you changed her outlook for the future. You are the epitome of what a nurse should be.

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I was still not feeling very good on my second day, after surgery. As he became my nurse for the day, he was positive and sincere. I was told I would not be able to leave the hospital until the issue with my urine was cleared up. He sensed my stress and talked to me to reassure me that all would be well.

Many years ago, I had a bad experience with a catheter, and I was in tears at the thought of another bad experience. He visited with me, explaining the 'new' process. Meanwhile, I was given medication that might resolve the issue. As the day went on, it was evident that I would need to use the catheter. I found myself in tears, to which he said, "It's OK to cry," and I finally agreed to the procedure. He was gentle and very professional. The catheter wasn't working, and he decided to try another one. He promptly went for it and completed the procedure. At the end of the day, I was able to go home. He was caring and understanding. He saved my day.