On Tuesday at approximately 6:30 pm Nurse B. offered to be a chaperone for a TV as I am a male US tech. I went to pick up the patient, and as we were walking to the US room, Ms. Berette was chatting amicably with me and the patient. Once we arrived in the room and got the patient ready for the Transabdominal exam, the patient became upset and began to cry. Nurse Berette asked her if she was ok and what she was thinking/feeling. The patient expressed concern over many things, (1) the many strange emotions she was feeling with this pregnancy, (2) concern over the well being of the child and the pregnancy term in general, and (3) issues to do with being in the military (transience, etc.) Nurse Berette deftly addressed each of these issues in turn. She opened up and showed remarkable empathy, care, and compassion for the patient; she expressed her own challenges with mood swings and emotional highs and lows related to the hormone changes which come with pregnancy. She talked about her own challenges with pregnancy and childbirth, and remarkably, her husband is also in the military so she could relate to yet a third area of concern with the patient. You could see the patient relax noticeably, as she looked at and listened to Berette; she thanked her for sharing and said it was so nice to be able to "share these things with someone who understood".

Then it was time for the Transvaginal exam. The patient stiffened, and I was unsure as to whether she would allow us to do the exam. Again, Nurse Berette stepped in about how she had had many such exams, they were never painful. She explained that yes, it was a bit invasive and maybe a bit uncomfortable, but because the patient was in early pregnancy this was indeed the best exam that could provide the most accurate information. The patient again relaxed and agreed that we could proceed with the Transvaginal Ultrasound. Nurse Berette talked with the patient throughout, calmly reassuring her and helping to keep her mind occupied as I completed the protocol.

After the exam, the patient even had a smile on her face, light in her eyes, and she thanked me for doing the exam; I was moved; this is an example of what true care, compassion, and empathy mean. From Barette offering to be a chaperone (she could have easily found a tech to do this, but was thinking about the continuity of care, and this patient's unique situation), to being vulnerable and sharing personal experiences that reflected quite closely what the patient was experiencing in that moment, to explaining in detail an exam that I believe the patient may have refused otherwise. These are sterling examples of what providing Compassionate Care means at Cheyenne Regional Medical Center. I have worked at many hospitals and with many health care professionals from CNAs and phlebotomists to Cardio-Thoracic surgeons and interventional radiologists, and this patient/provider interaction stands out as one of the most moving.

I am so grateful to have Nurses like Ms. Berette Huwer-Nurrenbrock in our Emergency Room and was humbled by her knowledge, compassion, empathy, care, and willingness to be vulnerable. She is a true DAISY Nurse.