Alexa has always been an amazing bedside nurse. She is very attentive to her patients and spends the time needed with them to foster a trusting nurse-patient relationship. It is very apparent that she has a genuine love for her profession and her patients. Although on our unit we don't tend to have patients for any long-term periods of time, occasionally we do have patients whose labor and delivery course will span multiple shifts of ours. In these instances Alexa almost always volunteers to take her patient back from her previous shift, knowing that continuity of care can help ease some of our patient's stress. Alexa is skilled at interpreting fetal monitoring and follows the necessary protocols to ensure her patient's safety. Childbirth is often one of a woman's most memorable life experiences, Alexa helps to make this experience as positive, safe, and comfortable and possible for her patients.
Alexa made an instant connection with a family who had to make the very difficult decision to induce labor before their baby would be able to survive outside the womb in order to save the mother's life. Overnight Alexa was attentive at the bedside with her patient, administering high-risk medications to protect her patient from having a seizure, and to reduce her blood pressure. But tending to her patient's medical needs was insignificant in comparison to the emotional support Alexa was providing, not only to her patient but to her family as well. There is a mountain of decisions that a patient and her family have to make when they are faced with the death of a child, in this case, a child who has not even had the chance to live yet. Alexa helped her patient to imagine the birth, and to think about whether she might want to hold her baby once it was born. She encouraged her to hold her, to love her, and bond with her until her heart stopped beating, the patient took comfort in knowing she could provide this for her baby. Unfortunately, right at shift change, Alexa attempted to hear the baby's heartbeat as per ordered, and unfortunately, it was found that the baby had passed away. Alexa stayed past the end of her shift to be with her patient given this new finding, and to provide her with a familiar face to help her grieve.
Fast Forward 12 hours later, in the midst of a snowstorm, Alexa was offered 4hrs PTO. Without even thinking about the snow and the difficult commute ahead, she asked whether her patient from the night prior had delivered yet. No, she hadn't, and so Alexa passed on the PTO, which, for the nurses who accepted it turned into an entire shift off due to low census. Alexa took over for the day nurse, and 1 hour later helped her patient deliver her beautiful baby girl at just 23+4 weeks gestation. She weighed only 232g, and despite her small size, Alexa was able to take photographs and footprints to provide her patient with memory items to honor her baby's life. She was present to support her patient, and when the patient was ready, Alexa brought her baby to the morgue. I spoke with Alexa at the end of this very difficult shift, and she told me that the patient had said to her "I think I was just waiting for you to come back to deliver." Alexa expressed how difficult emotionally the shift was, but also that she was so glad that she came back and was able to be present with her patient for the delivery. I believe she was meant to be there.