Danny Walrath works in the Waukesha Memorial Hospital cardiac care unit with COVID patients. He has a gentle, compassionate demeanor and positive attitude — always concerned about his patients comfort and well-being. He also frequently assumes a mentoring role with less experienced nurses.
Walrath has received a Nurse Excellence Award as an educator and mentor from Aurora Health Care. He has great communication skills with his patients. He especially enjoys sharpening his Spanish skills with Hispanic patients. Whenever possible, he makes a point of keeping the family of his patients in the communication loop.
Walrath is also always concerned about the well-being of his own family and friends. Recently, when a longtime family friend was in his final days of home hospice care, Walrath would stop by after a 12-hour shift at the hospital and make sure the friend was comfortable, and well-cared for.
A recent emergency heart surgery patient wrote a letter to the hospital administration thanking his surgeon and medical staff who went “above and beyond” to make his stay in the hospital “less traumatic.” He went on to name several others including Walrath. “They are an asset to your staff and need to be recognized,” he wrote.