An ER nurse from Las Vegas is helping care for patients at a hospital during her days off.
Brooke Johns has worked as a nurse for two and a half years. During her days off, she volunteers at the Southern Hill Hospital and pampers her patients.
“There’s something therapeutic about the human touch, as well,” John told ABC affiliate KNTV. “Human talking, human touching, it’s that connection that we’re all hard-wired for.” Any patients who wish to have their hair brushed or braided, John does it for them.
The nurse started offering her services five months ago when her friend ran into a problem while at the hospital and was “too weak to brush it herself.” So, she brushed and braided her friend’s hair, and just spoke with her.
That was the start of her wonderful act of kindness, which has impacted many other patients, including Sierra Stein, who was a former patient of John’s. You can’t have visitors or someone to come in with you and hold your hand and to have someone just be able to braid your hair makes you feel like you’re at home ago,” Stein told the news outlet after noting that with COVID, there’s a lot of isolation.
Now with other nurses following John’s footsteps, she’s been working on some creative ideas when visiting younger patients, once restrictions are lifted. One of her plans is to dress up as Elsa from Frozen.
For John, she says this is her life’s calling, stating “I think nurses, in general, get into this to help other people.”
She hopes her kindness will provide a spark for those seeking a human connection while hospitalized.
