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Publications & Resources > The Standard > September 2005

   Last modified: Aug. 25, 2005

In Praise of Nurses

The College welcomes letters commending outstanding nursing care. Accepted are original signed letters from the client/family member or an original signed letter from the facility/agency with a copy of the author’s letter and the author’s approval to publish it. Letters may be condensed for publication.

October 2004

I am writing to congratulate the nurses at the Owen Sound site of Grey Bruce Health Services’ sixth floor surgical program. The care they provided my husband, Gary, showed that they are a caring group of professionals.

Gary began to have continuous abdominal pain during the last week of July. We went to the Markdale ER on Thursday where they treated him. On Friday he returned for a follow up, and it was decided that he needed to go to the Owen Sound site to see a surgeon about what was now determined to be severe cholecystitis.

We arrived at the Owen Sound ER at 4:30 p.m. Gary needed to have a drain inserted into his gallbladder and be admitted. The process was difficult on him and he became very restless. The ER nurses were very caring and helpful both to him and to me. He was transferred to the sixth floor where he would stay overnight. During his stay he went through a series of unexpected events, which proved to be very difficult. My family and I were becoming progressively concerned about his welfare.

There was a particular nurse who I feel deserves special praise: Kristy Action, RN. She discussed Gary’s condition with me in a way that demonstrated her knowledge and ability to assess and treat him appropriately. She was efficient in getting the physician to see him as the progression of events unfolded. She utilized good communication skills with my family and me, consequently supporting us in dealing with these scary events. On Sunday evening when he became delirious, I stayed overnight and she was very solicitous of my comfort. In my absence she provided the care needed and so was an advocate for him. I felt more secure by her actions.

My family and I want to thank Kristy and her colleagues for the excellent nursing care they gave us in a difficult and frightening time.

Sincerely,
Marty Newman, RN, BScN
Flesherton

January 2005

I am writing to express my praise and deep gratitude for the expert and compassionate care provided by the nurses of 4N, General Surgery, North York General Hospital, to my father, Robert G. Mitchell, during his recent stay for major abdominal surgery.

To take a 74-year-old through a major surgery requires the utmost skill, teamwork, collaboration and commitment. The 4N nurses have all of these attributes and more. The quality of care they provided was outstanding, despite the busyness of their unit. They were always calm, patient and responsive. Without exception, each nurse we encountered demonstrated the highest level of expertise and professionalism. They consistently assessed my father’s comfort level, carefully monitored his recovery from the surgery and guided us through the healing and rehabilitation process expertly.

The climate that the nurses create on their unit is one of professionalism, teamwork and interdisciplinary collaboration. The unit is extremely clean, and business is conducted in an efficient, calm manner that inspires confidence. This is no small accomplishment on any busy surgical unit. As a knowledgeable observer, I could also see that this is an extremely challenging unit to practise on because the patient population is acutely ill, culturally diverse and mostly older adults.

I felt a renewed pride in our profession just observing these talented individuals.

Sincerely,
Sandra A. Mitchell, RN, MScN
Rockville, Maryland

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