Thank you to our Nursing Assistant Friends!

To all nursing assistants in our organization:

This week is Nursing Assistant week and I wanted to write something to show appreciation to each of you. I want you to know that your colleagues know how hard you work and how your dedication may sometimes go unnoticed. You spend many hours at the bedside of our patients doing things like painting their nails, combing or braiding their hair or just holding their hand. You are the unsung hero of patient care.

You may often feel like no one sees your hard work, and I am sorry for the times that I personally have not shown appreciation for the important job that you do. The truth is, we all depend on you so much, that we sometimes forget that you need to know that you are doing a good job, too. You walk in the hall with a patient that has been bed bound for a week and is just starting to feel strong again. You patiently feed a patient who is unable to hold their utensils. You sit at the bedside listening to old war stories. The tenderness and respect that you have when you are preparing a patient for the family to arrive for their final visit is unmatched. You, my friend, are critical to the work we do every day and we cannot do our job without you. 

From me and all those who count on you at Carilion, THANK YOU for the commitment you have in all that you do for every patient, every day.