Ava Zweifel
September 2025
Ava
Zweifel
,
ADN, RN
Women's Services
St. Luke's The Woodlands Hospital
The Woodlands
,
TX
United States
She remained there long after her shift had ended until the patient’s husband arrived.
Ms. Ava took such great care of my wife & newborn son. She is an angel on earth, and it was such an amazing experience.
***
There are moments in nursing that call for more than clinical skill. They call for compassion, grace, and a level of humanity that cannot be taught. Ava embodies all of these qualities and more. While she goes above and beyond every day in her role as a nurse, there is one moment that perfectly captures the kind of nurse and person she is.
It was one of those long, exhausting days on our unit, the kind where everyone is counting down the minutes until the shift ends. Just five minutes before the end of the day, a patient walked into the Emergency Room. She was alone, afraid, and had not felt her baby move in some time. Every labor and delivery nurse knows the dread that comes with moments like these. Ava responded immediately, bringing the patient into triage and attempting to find a heartbeat. When she could not, she quickly brought in the physician, who confirmed the unimaginable. The baby no longer had a heartbeat.
What happened next was not part of any job description. It was a choice Ava made from the heart. The patient began to grieve in a raw, heartbreaking way, sobbing, screaming, and questioning herself. She had no one there with her. Ava became her support system. She held her hand, stayed by her side, and let her know she was not alone. She remained there long after her shift had ended until the patient’s husband arrived. She never left her.
In that moment, Ava was not just a nurse. She was a lifeline. She inspires not only the patients she cares for but also everyone who is lucky enough to work alongside her. Her compassion, strength, and unwavering commitment to being present in the hardest moments are what make her truly exceptional. She is the heart of this profession.
***
There are moments in nursing that call for more than clinical skill. They call for compassion, grace, and a level of humanity that cannot be taught. Ava embodies all of these qualities and more. While she goes above and beyond every day in her role as a nurse, there is one moment that perfectly captures the kind of nurse and person she is.
It was one of those long, exhausting days on our unit, the kind where everyone is counting down the minutes until the shift ends. Just five minutes before the end of the day, a patient walked into the Emergency Room. She was alone, afraid, and had not felt her baby move in some time. Every labor and delivery nurse knows the dread that comes with moments like these. Ava responded immediately, bringing the patient into triage and attempting to find a heartbeat. When she could not, she quickly brought in the physician, who confirmed the unimaginable. The baby no longer had a heartbeat.
What happened next was not part of any job description. It was a choice Ava made from the heart. The patient began to grieve in a raw, heartbreaking way, sobbing, screaming, and questioning herself. She had no one there with her. Ava became her support system. She held her hand, stayed by her side, and let her know she was not alone. She remained there long after her shift had ended until the patient’s husband arrived. She never left her.
In that moment, Ava was not just a nurse. She was a lifeline. She inspires not only the patients she cares for but also everyone who is lucky enough to work alongside her. Her compassion, strength, and unwavering commitment to being present in the hardest moments are what make her truly exceptional. She is the heart of this profession.