Nice

If you work in a service industry, too often you hear more complaints than thanks. On the night before Thanksgiving, I had the pleasure of taking care of an elderly patient who arrived via ambulance with a complaint of difficulty breathing. Everything appeared routine - we applied oxygen, settled her in and was able to stabilize her fairly quickly.  Within the hour, her two daughters arrived and was able to provide additional medical history that was helpful when treating their mother.

As I was going interacting with their mother, one of the daughters asked me "Do all the nurses here enjoy their work?" I must admit, I was suspicious - was this person setting me up for something? So I replied "I can't speak for everyone, but I can tell you that I enjoy what I do." The daughter then proceeded to tell me that they've had great experiences each time they are here in the ER. I thanked her for the compliment.

We admitted her mother to the hospital for observation that night - to ensure that she was indeed stabilized. As transport was moving her mother out of the ER, the daughter approached me and handed me a comment card that we have throughout the ER. I didn't get a chance to read it at first, but when I caught my breath and sat for a moment, I was in for a pleasant surprise. Here is the "Hospital Recognition Gram...." Note: I've used the word "Hospital" instead of the true hospital name in an attempt to keep the patient's identity anonymous.

Dear: (Name of CFO)

Department/Site: ER Department

"This hospital's nurses are the best. Check my mom's records and you will see - we should know. Never have we been treated rudely or unattended. The nurses in ER and Telemetry, no matter the hour or what day, are always kind and caring. The feeling they project is that they all love their job. This hospital must be a wonderful place to work."

My sincere thanks to this family for taking the time out of a stressful day and writing a brief note that was thoughtful and generous.