Caitlin Batchelor, BSN, RN

My precious 92-year-old mother was transported to ECU Health Edgecombe Hospital by ambulance. This was our first experience with Tarboro Hospital, as in the past she had been living at home in Rocky Mount, and I had been taking care of her there since 2014, when my Dad died. We had just recently moved her into Barclay House Memory Care in Tarboro in November. After a long night in the ER and many tests and discussions with the staff, Mama was admitted to ICU at the ECU Tarboro hospital. It was after midnight when she was moved to ICU, and her care was put in the hands of Caitlin Batchelor that early morning to get her settled in her room. When they came to the waiting area and told me I could go back, a nice chair was waiting for me to stay with Mama, and during her stay I was allowed to stay with her day and night. This was a big relief and very comforting because Mama has had macular degeneration for the last 5 years in both eyes, and her dementia in the last two years had progressed a lot. So every night I got to watch Caitlin take care of Mama. She was amazing to watch—when she walked in, she always had everything she needed, and she was soothing to Mama. She would talk directly to her, letting her know what she was doing, and explaining to me and Mom why and what she was doing. Now you have to remember Mama had become “my baby” in the last couple of years because of her macular degeneration and progressing dementia, and Caitlin seemed to understand this.

During the nights she was Mama’s nurse from 7 pm to 7 am, she made sure we both understood everything that was being done and answered my questions with the skill of a professional. Many people came in and out during the night talking to me, and it seemed like she knew I needed help understanding what they said in a simpler way. As I got to know her, I learned a lot about her training and the people she worked with, which helped explain why she was such a great nurse. I can't forget her "sidekick", who came in several times to assist Caitlin. He charmed his way with Mama and made her smile, but he never made her feel uncomfortable when helping with her bath or cleanup, or when turning Mama so she wouldn't get sores.

On her last night working with Mama, she let me know she would be off her shift for a couple of days but would check on us when she returned to see if Mama was still at the hospital. We both knew that they would be moving Mama upstairs to the 4th floor the next day, and unfortunately, Mama went to be with her Jesus. But in her last days on this earth, she was treated by the sweetest and most caring staff, and I’m so thankful for everyone who took care of Mama during her stay. Thank you, Caitlin Batchelor, for taking care of Mama and for taking care of me too. You make nursing look easy, but it’s because you love what you do, and it shows. You are the best caregiver and nurse, and I told everyone at the hospital how wonderful you were.