April 2025
Darci
Shaw
,
RN
CCU
Aultman Hospital
Canton
,
OH
United States
I felt that Darcy was also a great example of an advocate. She went the extra mile. She listened to our concerns and acted on our behalf.
My 61-year-old mother was a patient at Aultman for 3 days. She had many symptoms, such as severe headaches, fever, intermittent confusion, weakness, and intermittent chest pain. She was transported to CCU from another hospital for a heart cath due to increasing troponin levels and chest pressure. Her heart cath was clear, and it felt as if the CCU physicians wanted to discharge her because she was cleared from a heart standpoint. Darcy heavily encouraged the physicians to consult infectious disease and neurology for her other symptoms, which they did. I am a nurse myself and was present at the bedside to advocate for my mom through her stay. However, I felt that Darcy was also a great example of an advocate. She went the extra mile. She listened to our concerns and acted on our behalf. She was thorough and caring. She came back on another shift to check on my mom and to say she had been thinking of us. My mom unexpectedly passed away that day. I have peace of mind because many tests were done, many physicians were involved, and I felt like no stone was left unturned. Without those extra consults and tests, I may have never had peace about my mom's sudden passing. I want to sincerely thank Darcy for her efforts and her compassion. I will carry that peace with me for the rest of my life, and she played a role in giving that to me and our family.