July 2024
Christine F
Agustin Paulino
,
RN, MSN, PCCN
Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center 7West, Cardiothoracic surgical unit
Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center
Los Angeles
,
CA
United States
She was extraordinarily competent, but the most important thing to me was her genuine caring and the time she took to make sure that I was doing as well as possible.
I was a patient at UCLA for 14 days for heart surgery. I had expected to be there for 5 to 7 days, but due to complications, I was there an extra week. I had been in the hospital 7 nights when I had the great good fortune of having this angel come into my life as my night nurse for the next three nights.
I was in the throes of treating the side effects of my surgery, which included a tube placed into my nose and down my throat into my stomach. I had very little sleep for the prior seven nights, and I was totally miserable with my condition and the treatment. This angel, with the most caring eyes and the sweetest demeanor, was incredibly sensitive to my situation and took the time to carefully retape the tube in my nose, which instantly stopped the pain.
She also took the time to address all my other issues and suggested icing my hand and forearm to reduce swelling. It was obvious after she said it, but no one else had recommended it for the prior days, while my forearm and hand had been swelling up like a balloon. It helped bring the swelling down tremendously and relieved a great deal of the associated pain.
Additionally, when it came time to go to sleep for the night, she took great care to place every wire and tube. When she was done, I could not feel any of them. I have no idea how she did it, but the prior night I slept in a sea of wires and tubes, nothing changed except for my night nurse. It was amazing, and I got the first of three good nights’ sleep in the hospital thanks to her, as I was blessed with this angel for the next three nights.
She was extraordinarily competent, but the most important thing to me was her genuine caring and the time she took to make sure that I was doing as well as possible. You will never know how much that meant to me when I was at a very low point.
I was in the throes of treating the side effects of my surgery, which included a tube placed into my nose and down my throat into my stomach. I had very little sleep for the prior seven nights, and I was totally miserable with my condition and the treatment. This angel, with the most caring eyes and the sweetest demeanor, was incredibly sensitive to my situation and took the time to carefully retape the tube in my nose, which instantly stopped the pain.
She also took the time to address all my other issues and suggested icing my hand and forearm to reduce swelling. It was obvious after she said it, but no one else had recommended it for the prior days, while my forearm and hand had been swelling up like a balloon. It helped bring the swelling down tremendously and relieved a great deal of the associated pain.
Additionally, when it came time to go to sleep for the night, she took great care to place every wire and tube. When she was done, I could not feel any of them. I have no idea how she did it, but the prior night I slept in a sea of wires and tubes, nothing changed except for my night nurse. It was amazing, and I got the first of three good nights’ sleep in the hospital thanks to her, as I was blessed with this angel for the next three nights.
She was extraordinarily competent, but the most important thing to me was her genuine caring and the time she took to make sure that I was doing as well as possible. You will never know how much that meant to me when I was at a very low point.