All Day I Dream About Serving ( Patients)

It was an unusual Friday in Durham, NC but my usual start of my weekend shift. I say it was unusual
because it was 23 degrees outside and snow on the ground. Usually when it's like the city is shut
down. Me being an essential worker and the weekend manager of the Emergency Dept I headed out
to work. My drive was about an hour in as I lived in Greensboro. Once I arrived at work I went in my
office and started taking off my heavy layers and changed out of my furry boots and put on my gym
shoes which always matched my dresses or outfit. Todays gym shoe was a pair of snakeskin black
adidas shell toe. Once I got myself together I walked out of my office down the hall as I turned the
corner I saw one of the nurses in the lost and found. I spoke and asked what she was doing. She
spoke with our usual language calling me Chicago as I call her Chitown, both of us being from
Chicago. She went on to tell me of a homeless man who came in and didn't have any shoes as
someone had stole his so she was trying to see if they had any that might fit him. I didn't think much
more about it and headed to the front of the ED to relieve the night shift person as my staff was short
and to help out I'd taken on the responsibility of the front desk. Once at the front desk I saw Chitown
walk back past saying she was going to look for some more. A few minutes later she appeared again
with a pair of hot pink running shoes and said this is the last pair hopefully these will fit. She walked
over to a small figure and bent down helping him with trying on the shoe. She lifted up as he shook his
head and walked back over by me saying these didn't fit either and that's all we have. Standing on the
other side of the arrival desk I asked what size does he wear. She said about a seven. I took oh my
gym shoe and looked at the tongue as I couldn't remember if they were boys or woman but usually all
my gym shoes are boys. I saw 7 and handed to her and said " Here, see if this fits" She asked me was I
sure in disbelief as everybody knew how I was about my shoe attire. I said " Yes". She went over to the
man and told him to try it on and she came back and said it fit. I then handed her the other one and
she said " Are you sure?" I responded " Yes" at which time she took him the other shoe. As I'm sitting
there with no shoes on one of my staff members walked up and I asked her to go to my office and get
my boots for me. Next thing I know this small figure was standing in front of me on the other side of the
desk with water in his eyes he grabbed my hand and said "Thank you so much!" I said " You're
welcome! You take care! As I watched him walk out the door I was so happy that I was able to help
him. The nurses asked me why I did that and I explained to them there is no way I could send a man
out of here on one of our coldest days with either those hospital booties or nothing on his feet, it
wouldn't sit right with me knowing I could've made a difference in that man's life even if it was minimal
his smile made my day. Also I look at situations like put yourself in that situation wouldn't you want
someone to help you if they could. I would go one to be nominated for an award which I had no idea
and I actually came up with what we do in healthcare ADIDAS…ALL DAY I DREAM ABOUT SERVING
(patients). I've always tried to find other ways to help the patients outside of not being clinical and this
was my moment to help one of our patients.