Earlier this week I was asked to meet with a patient's mother who arrived at the pediatric emergency department with a donation. Upon meeting with the mother I noticed a shy little girl standing beside her with two large gift bags. This little girl ended up being a 4-year-old who arrived at the ER late one night suffering from an ear infection that required a CT Scan. This little girl smiled then explained that she wanted to give the gift bags full of toys to the hospital to help "kids like her" feel better. Her mother then went on to explain that a pretty curly-haired nurse named Ashley with a bubbly personality made the world of a difference simply by offering her child a pink cowboy hat and a toy incentive to encourage her to stay still and be brave for the CT.
After accepting the donation on behalf of the team I later went on to learn that this patient had been transported to CT a few times that evening and was too scared to cope through the scan. Despite not being the primary nurse, Ashley went out of her way to figure out how to make this scan possible not only for the well-being of the patient but for the parent's peace of mind as well. Ashley took the time to get to know the patient, figure out what she liked and even escorted her to CT to show her that it wasn't as scary as it appeared. This small gesture, an extra step, and a smile made the world of a difference to this family and Ashley's kindness clearly left a mark on them. Ashley Rivera has been a pediatric emergency room nurse for several years and it does not surprise me that she was able to bring some sunshine to a tiny human who needed it. Ashley is constantly finding ways to make patients and family members laugh, bringing in toys and craft projects to make the visits a bit easier and is always one of the first to ask a teammate if they need help. I am honored to work alongside Ashley. Like this little 4-year-old said, "Thank you, Ashley". It is little moments like these that deserve to be noticed.