December 2023
Emily C
Zindel
,
Student Nurse
St Martin's University Nursing Program
Lacey
,
WA
United States
Emily did not leave this mother's side, instinctively knowing this was the role she was most capable of performing and where she was needed most.
Emily had expressed a desire to work in the NICU and was eager to learn everything she could during her OB rotation. One day, a laboring mother was progressing slowly but normally and the patient's support person left to go home briefly. During that time, the baby went into severe distress, necessitating a crash emergency C-section for the mother and resuscitation of the newborn with no family member at the bedside to support her. The mother awoke after the emergency surgery confused, with a flurry of nurses ensuring that she was stable in her condition.
This St Martin's student sat at her bedside, holding her hand, and calmly, quietly repeated to the mother that her baby was delivered, her husband was on his way in, and the team was doing everything they could to care for her baby and her. The mother, groggy from the anesthesia and the shock of the emergency, woke repeatedly and drifted off to sleep, asking over and over where her family was, if her baby was ok, and what happened. Between the medications, the emergency, and the surgery, it took nearly 2 hours for the mother to recover. Emily did not leave this mother's side, instinctively knowing this was the role she was most capable of performing and where she was needed most. Emily was able to provide support and reassurance to this mother in the midst of uncertainty about the baby's outcome. She instinctively and expertly held space for this mother to feel fear, hope, and uncertainty. Emily leaned into that pain with her so she would not feel alone. It could have been easy for Emily to follow the neonatal nurses and learn about the resuscitation process, but it was clear that this mother's side was where she felt she needed to be most.
A few hours later, the mother, father, and baby were all able to meet as a family before the baby was transferred to a higher level of care. The medical outcome for all involved was positive, and when the mother finally recovered, she kept remarking on how supported she felt and how lucky she felt to have the presence of the nurses around her, those providing medical care, and those providing much-needed nursing care. I am proud of Emily's actions that day and how she reflected the core values of St Martin's University of truly listening with the ear of her heart.
This St Martin's student sat at her bedside, holding her hand, and calmly, quietly repeated to the mother that her baby was delivered, her husband was on his way in, and the team was doing everything they could to care for her baby and her. The mother, groggy from the anesthesia and the shock of the emergency, woke repeatedly and drifted off to sleep, asking over and over where her family was, if her baby was ok, and what happened. Between the medications, the emergency, and the surgery, it took nearly 2 hours for the mother to recover. Emily did not leave this mother's side, instinctively knowing this was the role she was most capable of performing and where she was needed most. Emily was able to provide support and reassurance to this mother in the midst of uncertainty about the baby's outcome. She instinctively and expertly held space for this mother to feel fear, hope, and uncertainty. Emily leaned into that pain with her so she would not feel alone. It could have been easy for Emily to follow the neonatal nurses and learn about the resuscitation process, but it was clear that this mother's side was where she felt she needed to be most.
A few hours later, the mother, father, and baby were all able to meet as a family before the baby was transferred to a higher level of care. The medical outcome for all involved was positive, and when the mother finally recovered, she kept remarking on how supported she felt and how lucky she felt to have the presence of the nurses around her, those providing medical care, and those providing much-needed nursing care. I am proud of Emily's actions that day and how she reflected the core values of St Martin's University of truly listening with the ear of her heart.