Nursing staff at 5B have gathered to acknowledge a family’s heartfelt gift after a late patient’s sister donated his medical equipment back to the ward that cared for him.
When Nick Noutsatos was transferred to 5B after an extended ICU stay in late 2019, Nursing Director Division of Medicine, Fiona Fullerton said nurses were moved by the unrelenting support exhibited by his family.
“One thing we noticed immediately was his big, loving family. They were here every day, showering him with love and support on the ward.”
Fiona and her team thanked the family with a special morning tea on August 1st, which is also Nick’s birthday.
Special mention went to Nick’s sister Kristina, who had visited her brother daily during his 10-week stay and had assisted nurses with Nick’s routine cares.
“She was by his bedside every single day, assisting with cares and making sure he was comfortable. She was a huge help to staff on busy days.”
Staff said there was also a noticeable improvement in Nick’s responsiveness when his family attended.
“Nick was more responsive when family was present and assisting with caring, so that was really nice to see.”
Fiona said the family’s donation is a rare and invaluable gift to the ward and its future patients.
“We wanted to thank the family in person. We don’t really get donations here, so this means a lot to us.”
Kristina donated a stroke shower chair and visitor overnight chair, which she hopes will “help many more patients and their families in the future.”