Brooke M Nelson
May 2023
Brooke M
Nelson
,
MSN, RN
Behavioral Health Unit
Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson
JBER
,
AK
United States

 

 

 

Maj Nelson was the charge nurse for my first couple of days in the BHU and her compassion shone bright.
When I came to the BHU, I was ready to kill myself. I was having a particularly bad mental health crisis and my depression and anxiety were particularly high. Maj Nelson was the charge nurse for my first couple of days in the BHU and her compassion shone bright. A couple of days in, my family came by for a surprise visit and it was extremely stressful. After they left, I was pacing the hallway and hyperventilating, having a major panic attack. Maj Nelson saw me and knew I had been stressed about even the idea of talking to my spouse on the phone and took me to the side to talk to me in private. She used several tools and methods to help me work through my panic attack and then helped me think through what happened and what boundaries I could set to protect myself in the future. She was off for a few days but when she worked again, she made sure to check in with me and see how I was and how my next visit with my family went. Maj Nelson is an extremely warm, kind, caring, and compassionate individual and the BHU and JBER are fortunate to have her. She made a difference in my life in a big way in just a few days, and I will never forget her.