Deidra is a tremendous asset to the 9N team and is always going above and beyond, whether it is advocating for her patients as a bedside nurse, supporting and advocating for her nurses as the charge nurse, or advocating for patient and family involvement in quality improvement projects and at UBNPC. Deidra is known by her peers for the compassionate way she navigates difficult conversations and supports patients through challenging times. She rises above when caring for challenging patients and ensures that the patient's voice is included in safety planning and care plans are individualized to meet patient needs.
Deidra recently cared for a patient admitted for an eating disorder. These patients can often be challenging as they have strict care guidelines and often patients have little control over things that can trigger a lot of anxiety for them. This particular patient was struggling with the demands of her hospitalization and was feeling really discouraged. Deidra took the time to sit down and listen and address these concerns.
Afterward, Deidra shared this letter that was written to her from this patient: "Thank you so much. At my lowest, you gave me hope, faith, and love. You didn't even know me, yet you knew all the words to say. You taught me that I have so much power within. You reminded me that God still had work for me to do and that I should never give up. You inspired me to go a little bit longer so that one day I would be able to help all the people God intended for me to help. With your words, I am beginning to try and understand trust. Trusting that people only want to help me, they aren't trying to make me "fat." You helped me begin to identify when my eating disorder speaks and when I speak. You gave me so much support when I didn't think I wanted to give anything more. Thank you sooo much. I will always remember you and what you did to help me begin my recovery."