Life changing inspiration: How a hospital stay prepared an Iowa nurse to give back

IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) - Today, you’ll find Caitlin Efstathiou “living the dream” as she’s working at the University of Iowa Health Care (UIHC), but 16 years ago she was in the hospital for a different reason.

In 2009 Efstathiou was in a car accident, she needed life-saving treatment for punctured lungs, broken ribs, a broken back and more.

“I could have lost an arm,” Efstathiou said, reflecting on the accident.

She needed to spend a whole month at UIHC. During her stay, she had a lot of time to get to know the staff. One nurse, in particular, left a big impression.

“She made it fun almost. She listened to you. She knew that you were in a really hard time since she tried to make you laugh. She included you inside jokes,” Efstathiou said.

She’s referring to Mary Ann Wolfe, who uses her levity and sense of humor to help patients.

“I don’t do well with formality,” Wolfe said. “We meet people during the very worst times of their lives. They don’t want to think about that constantly.“

Efstathiou credits Wolfe for inspiring her to pursue healthcare herself. Now, 16 years later, she gets to help people the same way she was helped.

Wolfe was surprised to be reconnected with Efstathiou all these years later and, for her, it’s a rewarding case of things coming full circle.

“It’s just very validating that what we do is really important,” Wolfe said.