First-time parents are not known for their steely-eyed, composed demeanor in the face of the prospect of childbirth. My wife and I were no exception. After a rollercoaster appointment of emotion, our OB-GYN sent us to Parkland to be induced into labor. We arrived at the L&D Department anxious, overwhelmed, and not quite sure what to expect. Our anxiety was soon allayed, however, by the empathetic treatment we received from our admitting nurse, Brittani.
The circumstance of an induced labor, in combination with the fact that this was our first child, meant that we were in for a long labor--over 24 hours. This wasn't the only complicating factor though. When it came time for the epidural, my wife was told for the first time that she had scoliosis. This meant that what is normally a fairly easy 30-minute procedure for the nurse anesthetist turned into about fifteen sticks, an hour and a half of procedure time, and an MD anesthesiologist attending having to complete the job. During this time, I was not in the room at the recommendation of the midwife and nurse anesthetist, so my wife was left to deal with this uncomfortable and time-intensive procedure alone. But she was anything but alone. Our nurse, Brittani, went above and beyond during this time to hold my wife's hands, comfort her, and distract her from the pain and discomfort with personal conversation. I know that nurses are supposed to be comforting in these situations, but it's difficult to express just how reassuring and comforting Brittani was to my wife during this time.
Brittani's exceptional care did not end with the epidural. Throughout the rest of the labor process, she got to know both me and my wife, carried on great conversation at appropriate times, helped strategize how to wrangle over-eager new grandparents (even offering to "be the bad guy"), and provided constant encouragement and reassurance. Our interactions with Brittani greatly reduced my wife's and my stress level and made us feel at ease (as much as could be expected given the circumstances).
While her "bedside manner" was exceptional, this was not the only characteristic of Brittani's care of my wife and baby that we considered above and beyond. She possessed knowledge of the labor and childbirth process well beyond our expectations. My wife is a physician and had many more than the average amount of questions during labor. Brittani took all of these questions in stride and demonstrated an exceptional breadth and depth of knowledge; she was more than able to address all of my wife's many questions and concerns. She demonstrated through her care that she is a lifelong learner and eager to continually improve her knowledge and skills to better take care of patients. For example, Brittani applied some of what she had learned at a recent conference for nurses on positioning during the labor process. This proved especially important because our child's heart rate at times didn't respond well to the labor process. But any time our baby's heart rate dipped, Brittani sprang into action to re-position my wife, which in every case led to an immediate, favorable response from our baby's heart rate. We really could not have been in better hands. As a husband and new dad, I felt so reassured knowing that my wife and baby were so well taken care of.
I've heard it said that a good medical professional must possess both competence and compassion. Our nurse, Brittani clearly has both to excess. My wife and I both remarked that it's so great that even those without insurance get such great care at Parkland. I know this is the case if there are other nurses even remotely as good as Brittani. We are forever grateful and would recommend (and have already recommended) the Parkland L&D experience to anyone.