One week after a total knee replacement, I sat in my recliner, ice on my knee and dog at my side, reading AJN's December issue. "Straight Talk About Nursing" drew my immediate attention because it challenges the quality of nursing care in our hospitals.

The quality of my recent surgery and nursing care at Franciscan Healthcare in La Crosse, Wisconsin, a part of the Mayo Clinic Health System, was quite the opposite of the care described in this article. I have worked night shifts in hospitals and outpatient facilities for more than 40 years, but my last personal overnight hospitalization was when I gave birth to my daughter in 1971, and I was understandably anxious about the three-to-five-day hospitalization projected by my surgeon.

I can only express total satisfaction and gratitude for the excellent care I received from the nursing staff in pre-op, recovery, and post care. No aspect of my care was delayed or neglected.

I don't discount the research on missed nursing care. However, I thought it important to share my recent positive experience. It makes me proud of my profession and inspires me to be an even better nurse.

Joan L. Artman, RN

Onalaska, WI