Brittnie Wesneski
August 2023
Brittnie
Wesneski
,
RN, BSN
ICU
Guthrie Corning Hospital
Corning
,
NY
United States
Brittnie not only used her professional expertise to ensure that my physical needs were expertly met every step of the way but even more importantly, Brittnie recognized and assuaged my fear through her nurturing care and concern.
A dictionary definition of compassion states that it is a quality that “motivates people to go out of their way to relieve the physical mental, or emotional pains of others” and that compassion “is often regarded as being sensitive to the suffering of others”.
Brittnie bestowed this gift of compassion on me during my recent stay in Corning Hospital’s ICU. As an extremely ill sixty-two-year-old with severe sepsis, dehydration, parainfluenza, pneumonia, dangerously low blood pressure, nausea, headache, shortness of breath, and chest pain, Brittnie not only used her professional expertise to ensure that my physical needs were expertly met every step of the way but even more importantly, Brittnie recognized and assuaged my fear through her nurturing care and concern. Brittnie’s commitment to me as a patient was second to none.
While nursing me in the ICU, Brittnie delivered medications in a timely manner, managed my fluids and IV antibiotics, took vitals, brought me absolutely anything and everything I asked for and needed, helped me get comfortable in bed, helped me get out of bed, interpreted medical information and interfaced with the intensivist for me and with me. She did all the things a skilled nurse should do. Beyond discharging her technical duties with the utmost integrity, Brittnie easily established rapport with me, showed interest in me as an individual, talked with me about my family to lift my spirits, and listened actively to me. Her kindness and compassion surrounded me at every moment.
As a person who fears needles, I was in a constant state of panic with each and every needle that would come my way including an additional IV that was needed for my other arm as well as constant blood draws. I became especially nervous when I was told that a medical line needed to be inserted and that I would potentially require a thoracentesis (which I later had).
Beyond my wonderful family’s support, my main solace during these extremely anxiety producing events as Brittnie s wise counsel, tender care, understanding and compassion.
Brittnie bestowed this gift of compassion on me during my recent stay in Corning Hospital’s ICU. As an extremely ill sixty-two-year-old with severe sepsis, dehydration, parainfluenza, pneumonia, dangerously low blood pressure, nausea, headache, shortness of breath, and chest pain, Brittnie not only used her professional expertise to ensure that my physical needs were expertly met every step of the way but even more importantly, Brittnie recognized and assuaged my fear through her nurturing care and concern. Brittnie’s commitment to me as a patient was second to none.
While nursing me in the ICU, Brittnie delivered medications in a timely manner, managed my fluids and IV antibiotics, took vitals, brought me absolutely anything and everything I asked for and needed, helped me get comfortable in bed, helped me get out of bed, interpreted medical information and interfaced with the intensivist for me and with me. She did all the things a skilled nurse should do. Beyond discharging her technical duties with the utmost integrity, Brittnie easily established rapport with me, showed interest in me as an individual, talked with me about my family to lift my spirits, and listened actively to me. Her kindness and compassion surrounded me at every moment.
As a person who fears needles, I was in a constant state of panic with each and every needle that would come my way including an additional IV that was needed for my other arm as well as constant blood draws. I became especially nervous when I was told that a medical line needed to be inserted and that I would potentially require a thoracentesis (which I later had).
Beyond my wonderful family’s support, my main solace during these extremely anxiety producing events as Brittnie s wise counsel, tender care, understanding and compassion.