My normally healthy brother battled an upper respiratory infection for a couple of weeks. He was admitted to Saint Luke's East with a diagnosis of pneumonia. After a few days, he was in the ICU in respiratory failure and was intubated and placed on a ventilator. I knew how critical he was. The next day, my sister and I rode the elevator with a nurse who became our savior. She came into the room, assessed my brother thoroughly, fluffed and repositioned every pillow and extremity. She talked to him and made sure he was comfortable. By that afternoon my brother was alert and able to write on a piece of paper to communicate. Amy reassured him, explaining everything to him. He was in restraints so as to not pull the ET tube out. Needless to say, the anxiety from waking up on a vent would have overwhelmed anyone but she kept him calm.
Amy was a great advocate for him. She was instrumental in getting tests ordered. She used her critical thinking skills, getting x-rays ordered to check the placement of the ET and OG when she was concerned about changes she noticed. She not only cared for him but also us - his sisters - who were needing some emotional support at such a difficult time. Amy gave us warm blankets because the room was kept so cold. She advocated for continuity of care for our brother since he was critically ill. She made sure to get him up standing, in a chair, and eventually walking with his vent, knowing evidence shows that patients have better outcomes with early ambulation. Amy was always positive and treated him with dignity and compassion. When he had a bad night, she would say today is a different day. She would give him his "spa treatments" with the shampoo cap on. Amy would call on her days off to check on him and also called me when I had to leave the hospital to assure me he was doing fine. I can't say how much this meant to me and my sisters, as well as my brother, to have a nurse as thorough and caring as Amy. I know in my heart that she was an important part of my brother's recovery.
Amy has made me a better nurse by the way she cared for my brother as if she was caring for her own brother. She is an exceptional person and nurse. We will always be grateful for her.
Thank you, Amy, for all that you do for our patients and at Saint Luke's East Hospital. We are so blessed to have you as a member of the team!