Patti exemplifies what it means to be a caring and compassionate caregiver

During Sunshine Week in June, four Bronson patient care assistants were honored with the Sunshine Award. The annual award recognizes nursing assistants who work alongside Bronson’s nursing team to ensure patients have the best possible experience during their hospital stay.

 Patti Oliver, one of the recipients of the Sunshine Award, was recognized by a co-worker who shares:

Patti goes above-and-beyond every single shift she works. Patti purchases quality shampoo, conditioner, lotion and detangler for our patients who are intubated, because she said “if it were my mom or dad here, I would hope someone would take care of them like this.”  Instead of using a shower cap to wash patients’ hair, she has found a way to wash their hair completely with water, shampoo and conditioner. She takes the time to brush it out and braid it afterwards, if needed.  She helps to ensure each patient is clean and comfortable beyond the required occasional bath with hospital-provided baby wash.

We just had a patient who got the amazing “Patti spa treatment” last week, who was extubated the next day.  The patient told us that they remember Patti and me giving them the bath while they were “out” and said it made them feel so good. They couldn’t stop speaking of how appreciative they were of Patti’s efforts. The patient said it made them feel more hopeful, because even though they were vulnerable and unclothed in a room with bright lights, Patti cared about them.

Patti not only thinks about how the patients are feeling, but she cares for family members of our patients as well as the rest of the staff.  Patti always checks on the families of our patients as well to see if there is anything we could be doing for them to make them more comfortable in their time of need.  Many times taking care of patients in our unit is just as much about family dynamics as actual patient care.

Patti never complains about her work, always has carts stocked and checks on the nurses to see if we need help. She is always willing to help even if she is in the middle of a non-essential task. I really can’t say enough about all the things that Patti does to make our unit one of the best in our hospital. She exemplifies what it means to be a caring and compassionate caregiver.