"Excellent care"

I was treated by a nurse called Ruth after self harming. It had been difficult to go to the hospital at all, but she was able to make me feel more relaxed.

Before looking at the wound she ensured that she knew what I needed from the situation, she checked if I would like to talk to someone and discussed different options if I wanted to, but respected my decision when I chose not to. But ensured that I did have support elsewhere.

She gave clear and easy to understand information to help me to decide if stitches or staples would work best for me. She also took into consideration how I might feel about them later using her experience of working with others in a similar situation.

Before stitching the wound she made sure that I knew what would happen and what she was going to do. She also adapted her movements to help me manage it better. Throughout she was observant to my reactions, making sure that she wasn't hurting me.

While stitching the wound she talked to me about a variety of things and used it as an opportunity to gain a different perspective on the situation rather than making assumptions about my reasons and my life. It was clear that she had done this with others previously which meant that she had a good understanding of the variety of situations that affect people.

Her stitches were neat and even which has really helped in the wound healing in the right way. She took time to ensure that they were at the right depth and didn't pull at an angle. When the wound bled she was able to manage that well without becoming flustered or frustrated.

Once the wound was clean and stitched she gave me advice about when the stitches should come out. She did everything that she could to ensure that I was able to adequately take care of the wound at home as well as giving advice on when to seek a second opinion.

Throughout she was respectful and attentive to my needs. It is difficult for me to decide to get a wound treated but she did everything that she could to reassure me that it is the right thing to do and this was very helpful.

I can't imagine a better example of how to manage the situation.