There must be something in the water at Saint Alphonsus Medical Center in Boise, Idaho. I’m not kidding, either. Believe it or not, I had the distinct pleasure of two different staycations in a thirty-day period. Two good outcomes: I finally got to the bottom of why I have been feeling lackluster. Serious enough to land in the hospital overnight. Conditions that were discovered and now we have a plan to take care of both. I learned on Saturday it takes patience to be a patient. I can’t go home until my numbers are steady. One issue is having issues with the other issue. Go figure.
The second outcome is a deep appreciation for each and every person who treated me with kindness, professionalism, caring support and best of all, laughed at my joking around. They all told me I was a great healthy patient.
I want to list the wonderful staff that took care of me, and let Saint Alphonsus Boise know they should be commended. I know the value of staff that excels in service. Recognition is in order:
The two nurses on my first visit were Elizabeth and Beth. Elizabeth has a warm smile and gentle manner about her that put me to ease immediately. On the day I was admitted, I had to wait for a room for quite a long time. Once I got to my room, Elizabeth made me feel as if I was in my own room at home, but with attention. It can be daunting when you are feeling so poorly and you have to spend the night in a hospital. As my condition improved the next night, Elizabeth became my shining light of encouragement. Beth was a delightful unassuming person that seemed to just know what I needed every time. I happened to be on a busy floor with special monitoring. I always felt that I was getting attention despite the fact I was in a much better condition that the other patients. It’s just where they had an open room.
Two weeks later, I had symptoms that led me back to ER. This time I baffled the staff for 24 hours, but their determination got to the bottom of it all. I would like to thank the med student, Ethan Fry, Dr. Severinson, Dr. Nugent, Dr. Peterson and Dr. Matthews. I discovered that there were all levels of students, interns, residents as well as floor hospitalists at St. Al’s. Impressive, to say the least. I looked forward to their visits and tried my best to make each visit one that I could get smiles. Laughter is the best medicine, right?
My night nurses this time were Monique and Amy. Monique was my bright light of sunshine. I am so sorry I scared her in the wee hours of the morning when she came in for vitals. We both laughed about that for days! Amy took over in the same caring attitude that helped me sleep well each night. My day nurses were Danielle and Katie. Danielle was my day nurse when I first arrived, and all I can say is that her smile and attitude helped me get through another day that I did not get to go home. Katie is sweet travelling nurse that was here in Boise from Pennsylvania. She taught me a few tricks of administering shots subcutaneously in case I was going to go home with that. As luck would have it, her self shot lesson came in handy. Then there was Julie, who filled in on a day of more than one nurse. Julie was exceptional in the fact that once I was moved to another room, she brought my dinner food tray to me. WOW! Maybe because she knew I was really looking forward to the Pork Carnitas that I had ordered. Oh, did I mention the food here is great? And, Sarah, my last day nurse that felt my pain when she told me a test number that I knew would keep me one more night. {heavy sigh}. But Carla, the day nurse that checked me out: she was meant to be my goodbye girl when I was discharged. She took time with me to explain everything I needed to know, even if we had to go over it twice.
Adding to the incredible list were the ER staff that I can barely remember since I was not feeling well at all. But what I do remember is that they constantly checked on me, always asking what they could do for me. That helped keep my fears at bay. Next, the techs that drew my blood, the staff that wheeled me to my tests, the pharmacy students that came by to explain my new meds, the student nurses from Boise State University, and all the wonderful and attentive CNA’s on both shifts: Jaquelyn, Sarah, Melissa, Marah, Shalai, Candis, and Pam. And Imelda, who cleaned my room daily. We shared recipes! Then there was this guy some called the Wizard who did an EKG. He was on my left side, and a CNA was on my right taking vitals. He quipped, “Wow, this is just like a NASCAR pit stop!”. Never a dull moment for this girl!
I strongly feel that you should always treat people the way you want to be treated. When you do get that kindness, compassion, professionalism in return, it deserves recognition. I want to thank Saint Alphonsus Medical Center for the wonderful staff that took care of me. And, I want to thank each and every staff person that came to my room that always and I mean always had a smile.
That means everything to me, because a positive experience is the path to healing and wellness.
#gratitude #hospitalstay #thankyou #SaintAlphonsusBoise
Laurie B's Blog© 
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