TriStar Hendersonville EVS colleague cares for patients beyond her job duties
Patricia doesn't feel her job is done when her shift is over. She returns to the hospital on nights and weekends, not as an employee, but as a volunteer.
Patricia Hinojosa Mercado, a housekeeper at TriStar Hendersonville Medical Center, cleans patient rooms on the medical/surgical nursing floor during her working hours.
“In my job, I want to make the room the best for our patients,” said Patricia. “I try to make it neat and tidy because an unclean room doesn’t make it comfortable or a good environment for our patients to get better.”
Patricia doesn’t feel her job is done when her shift is over. She returns to the hospital on nights and weekends, not as an employee, but as a volunteer. Armed with kindness and her infectious smile, Patricia visits with patients who have no visitors. She sits with patients, listens to their stories and holds their hands, offering comfort during a difficult time.
“Patricia takes the extra steps to build relationships with our patients,” said Sedrick Hughes, manager of Environmental Services. “If she sees that a patient doesn’t have visitors or seems lonely, she takes the time to come visit and get to know them. She will feed them, bring them food and share stories with them. She truly provides compassionate, connected care.”
While cleaning patient rooms, Patricia will take notice of the communication boards where the care team writes notes about any hobbies or interests the patient may have. When Patricia sees an empty communication board in a room as she is cleaning, she will begin asking the patients questions about what they like and their families.
“If I can help them smile, I will smile, too,” said Patricia.
Patricia connects with patients who may be scared or unsure. She knows what it is like to be in an unfamiliar place because she moved from Spain three years ago with her new husband who was from the area and wanted to return home. Through compassion and empathy, Patricia utilizes her own experiences to help ease anxiety for patients.
“It is most beautiful when you see others happy and enjoying life,” said Patricia.
Sometimes it’s as simple as bringing a patient flowers, but for Patricia, these small gestures bring herself as much joy as she is bringing her patients.