When completing morning rounds, I stopped in the room of an 83-year-old man. I was going through my normal questions, to which the patient had no complaints. He said the care had been above and beyond, and that a nurse had even taken the time to brew him a cup of tea and add sugar when he ran out of his own. As I began to exit the room, the patient stopped me and said he would like to share one more thing with me.

The patient began sharing how the day before, which was a Sunday, the TV in his room, which was the one on which the Dallas Cowboys would play, was fuzzy. He explained to me that he had been a season ticket holder for as long as he could remember and had missed very few games over the years. He began explaining that his late wife had even worked for the Dallas Cowboys as a receptionist while he was finishing college. He stated this is how far back my love of the Cowboys goes. He said he was upset that he was not going to be able to watch the Cowboys game. As he continued explaining the story, he began to tear up and became overwhelmed with emotion.

He stopped for a moment before he could continue the story. He said Kaitlyn took the time out of her day to find an extra computer and bring it into his room. She was able to log in to a network on the computer so the patient could watch the Cowboys game. As the patient told me the story, he had to take several breaks as he wiped tears from his eyes. He said it's really the small things that provide above-and-beyond care. While this may seem like a minor task to many, it meant more to the patient than he could even explain.

The story doesn't end there. The patient has also been requesting a margarita and keeps telling his son how good a margarita would be. Kaitlyn overheard this conversation and requested and took her nursing care one step further. Realizing the patient may not make it out of the hospital, she wanted to ensure all of his wishes were met. She explained to the patient that while he cannot have the alcohol part of the margarita in the hospital, she could possibly make this wish come true.

Kaitlyn then DoorDash'd nonalcoholic margarita mix to the 7th floor. She took the time to fix the patient a mocktail to help fulfill his craving. She mixed the margarita mix with a little Sprite and even put salt on the rim of the cup. What's a margarita without salt?

Many patients spend their final days in the hospital, away from the comfort of their own home. Kaitlyn exemplified patient-centered care in such a caring, compassionate manner, ensuring this man felt as close to home as possible.

From a simple mocktail margarita to taking time out of her busy shift to set up the Cowboys game, Kaitlyn made a difference in this patient's life. His emotion as he told the story said it all. Sometimes it's not the above-and-beyond big gestures that touch somebody's life and heart, but the small, generous acts of kindness when all control has been taken from somebody that matter the most.

On this day, Kaitlyn's compassionate and authentic nursing care far exceeded the patient's expectations and truly made a difference as he recounted the story of an exceptional nurse who took a few extra minutes to care.