I already had anxiety built up for the recovery process, as my daughter had to have surgery. We made it to the unit and were greeted by Chelsea. She introduced herself and began the admission process and was very thorough and considerate. She spoke in a quiet and soft tone while my daughter slept. That alone showed me that she was a nurse who truly cared about her patients. A little bit after we were admitted to the unit, my daughter began to wake up. She was screaming in pain. She had received the pain block in surgery, but something was just not quite right. Chelsea came to the room to make her rounds and realized the pain block may not have worked. She called the doctors and made a true effort to get some relief for my baby. At first they didn't want to give her the morphine on top of the block due to her being an infant, but Chelsea persisted and even called the anesthesiologist back in the OR to put in the order for the morphine. She saw the extreme pain that my daughter was going through and had compassion, a spirit of empathy, love and concern for my baby. When she brought the morphine I could see on her face that she truly and deeply wanted to help my baby feel better. She even stayed after for a bit to be assured that the medication was helping her. As a mother that meant the world to me to have someone on my side.
Chelsea collaborated with the doctors to provide my little one with the appropriate pain relief. I am a nurse myself and realize that sometimes it may be difficult to get an order or wait for it to be approved. She was on top of everything for my baby and was very quick to meet our needs. She was always there for us. She is an excellent nurse who needs to be recognized.
At one point, before the morphine I, my mother, and my husband were all crying with my daughter. Chelsea came to my mom and asked how "daddy" was doing since she had seen him leave upset. She didn't just do her nursing tasks; she put in an effort to show her sympathy to us in our situation. After my baby began to feel a little better my family and I took her out to the hallway to get some sun and Chelsea took the time to check on her and talk with the family. She involved herself with the patient fully.
She provided constant compassionate care for my baby. She didn't just treat the patient, but the family as well and that is exactly what the DAISY Award is all about. The care she provided to my baby and my family should be standard nursing care across the board. To see that there are still amazing and caring nurses that put their entire effort into the healing and emotional process of recovery is truly satisfying. She is a super nurse and it warms my heart to know that she cares for so many children and families the way she does. We appreciate everything that you did for us Chelsea, and we will never forget you!