There isn't one instance I can pull from working beside Aubrey over the years, both as her being a PCT and now an RN for years, because I have daily occurrences that I am in utter awe of her. To work with Aubrey is to work with someone who completely and clearly defines ideas/images of what a "nurse" is to be. The way that she is able to care for a critical patient, all the while also being able to sit down and help families transition through the highs and lows of what an ICU admission brings to family members, is admirable. Not only can she calm a patient, who just woke up from anesthesia on a ventilator, but she also incorporates family and friends in the care she provides to how this situation is affecting them.
Aubrey builds trust with her patients and families, unlike any other RN I've seen over my 10 years as a nurse. Multiple occasions now I've witnessed patients and family returned after their discharge from the hospital just to visit with Aubrey and tell her their progress and the impact she has on them. I get to watch her as she cheers them on and encourages them in their rehabilitation to the point that if you didn't know you would think that those people visiting were her family.
From multiple outings with patients who were too ill to be discharged, to their loved ones' funerals and pushing her hours well into overtime. To sitting at the bedside and holding a patient's hand who had MR and was re-intubated, being able to calm her down from the panic attack the patient was having due to her lack of understanding. Aubrey was also able to bring the sister into her "circle of calming". She not only brought the patient down to a calm demeanor so she could breathe easier, but she also helped to console the sister who was distraught over seeing her sister in such distress.
On many occasions she has made a patient CMO, you would find her sitting with family, arm around them, holding their tissues and crying with them over a life that will be missed. Aubrey has proven to be someone to truly admire. She completely encompasses the idea of what nursing is and what it should be. Every day I'm beside her, I am able to be rejuvenated. I am able to put away that "been there, done that" attitude, and am turned into a fresh/newly revived nurse. Not only does she stand out to her peers in the unit, but she also stands out to other units as well for her compassion and attention to detail in the care of her patients.
Aubrey epitomizes what UPMC Hamot seeks to present to the public. That we are dedicated to caring for our community by providing outstanding patient care. Not only do I get to see this sometimes in her, but this is also her every single day, every patient, every family member. She continually goes above and beyond in her family-focused care to her patients.