Following my husband’s first spinal fusion, Wally, a night nurse at the hospital, proved to me that person-centered care benefits the patient as well as their caregiver. Tubes were going into and coming out of multiple parts of my husband’s body when they wheeled him into the room following his spinal fusion, He was in tremendous pain, and I was very concerned.

Wanting to provide a little comfort, I had loaded some of his favorite music onto an iPod.

Wally, the night nurse, popped into the room and exclaimed, “Acoustic guitar! That’s awesome!” Then he asked, “Is that Otmar Leibert?”

I nodded, and he said, “I love that guy!” He spent a couple of minutes with us. He asked some personal questions about Alex and told us a few things about himself, including the fact that he played the guitar in a band.

Later that evening, when Wally returned, I asked if I should spend the night. He said, “Why don’t you go on home and get a good night’s rest? I’ll hang out here with Alex and listen to music.”

I now know that Wally had a very heavy workload. He didn’t have the time to “hang out,” but he acted like he had all the time in the world. Wally made me feel like he genuinely cared about my husband as a person – not just a patient. He made me feel safe by humanizing what could have been a very clinical and scary experience. 

I imagine most nurses might feel like Wally didn’t do anything unusual. They probably have interactions like this daily. But when you are the caregiver and your loved one is the person who is suffering, it’s hard to describe how meaningful a small act of kindness can be. 

Thought for the Day: 

"When a nurse, doctor, or other medical professional demonstrates person-centered care by showing interest in my care receiver beyond their condition or diagnosis, I will find a way to thank them for their compassion and kindness."