Anabelle Sigman, BSN, RN

My 34-year-old son has been in ICU care for approximately 4 weeks so far. He was perfectly healthy until one day, in the blink of an eye, he fell and hit his head. An MRI, CT scan, and brain biopsy revealed seizures, a brain hernia, a large mass, and lymphoma. Our family had never experienced anything major like this. As a mother, I am scared. I can’t hide it—I’m human. Through her shift, Annabelle constantly provided above-excellent care for our loved one by keeping us updated with everything she was assessing and administering. She even spoke to him like a human being, although he is non-responsive. Annabelle asked on several occasions if she could get us anything and sounded very sincere. She repeatedly stayed busy, and in between checking on her patients, she asked if we needed anything. If not, she would be sitting outside the door if we needed anything at all.
Every time she did something to our loved one, she explained what the injection in the IV was for. If blood was taken, she explained what it was for. If a different or new medication was started—like Tylenol for fever or sugar water to help with sodium levels—she explained it clearly. She kept it at a “kindergarten level” to make sure we understood what she was doing for our loved one.
My son is in a life-and-death situation. It is comforting when a nurse takes the time to explain things during such a stressful time. Clear communication makes a world of difference in the ICU. Thank you for making your patient’s family feel extra special. I asked this young lady how long she had been doing her job. She replied she had been on her own for 4 months. My best friend works at a major hospital in Dallas. She works for the COO, and she sat and watched this lady. She said she’s an excellent nurse. She watched as she assessed and did her job, and she mentioned we don’t have nurses that caring and professional at our hospital. Wow!! Thank you, Annabelle, for making our time at Parkland ICU so comfortable in spite of our current situation.