January 2020
Bryce
Shepherd
,
RN
Medical ICU
Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital
Greensboro
,
NC
United States
X was a patient at Moses Cone Hospital many times over the past 6 years. Suffering from Cerebral Palsy, her mother was her advocate on each of the visits. On her last admission in 2019, her mother points to the care and actions of one specific nurse making a connection that would last a lifetime. When I rounded on this family moments after X passed away, her mother spoke about her experience with Cone Hospital. She shared if she was a patient she could only hope to have a nurse like Bryce and that it was fascinating to watch him work. Bryce entered the room and touched everything making certain the room and environment were perfect for her daughter. She could tell Bryce was in the right line of work with how he handled her daughter with care and made her and her husband feel cared about. She said that Bryce shared stories of his personal experience with a trach. His wiliness to share his own healthcare experience personalized his relationship with the family and they believed they could see special consideration given to their daughter who had been dependent on a tracheostomy for many years now. The mother shared that she had never seen a nurse better than he was and that is more impressive when we consider how many nurses cared for X over her 42 years. Bryce found a way through caring to connect with this family going through so much.