Nurses encounter patients from all walks of life, many of whom are afraid of judgment they may receive from the medical community for one reason or another. An RN can change a patient’s entire perspective by “showing them you value caring and compassion above all else,” says Sara Mosher, RN and owner of Patient+Family Care.

Mosher recalls an instance when she was caring for a patient recovering from surgery after a hit-and-run accident. Neither the patient nor the family spoke English, and they were immigrants who had arrived in the US illegally. Mosher says in situations like these, “you work very hard at making them feel safe so they can heal, rather than being scared that you are going to report them for deportation.”

Mosher made arrangements for an interpreter so she could effectively communicate with the patient, going out of her way to provide the best quality care she could. “You get to be a non-judgmental and supportive person,” she says. “They are in your care and while they are, they will receive compassionate service no matter what.”