Being in The Emergency Department with 2nd and 3rd-degree burns is scary. Having people pull the skin off of your arms is an existential experience that is hard to describe, but underneath it is fear mixed with pain. When I got to the coop Unit, I had Haley Sullivan as my nurse. I was coming to the realization of the extent of the burns on my arms, hands, face and neck. It was very overwhelming. Haley provided me with assurances that with consistent treatment to the skin on my face that the skin on my face would heal and return to normal it is just like having a chemical peel and it would just take some time and treatment and my face would return to normal. Hayley engaged me in conversations about my treatment with compassion, and she provided me with hope when I was in a dark, scary place trying to cope with the realization of the extent of my burns. Not only was Haley kind and caring in her treatment, but she engaged me in conversations that allowed me to use humor to help cope with a difficult situation. I am aware that in these situations, there are differences in the methods used by ER staff in the treatment of burns and the treatment methods used by burn unit staff.

Hayley advocated for me within the hospital system to help me get the treatment that I needed. Every suggestion that she made for the care that I needed was implemented when the holiday weekend was over, and regular burn unit medical staff returned. It was great to know that I had a knowledgeable nurse with expertise in burn care and the professionalism to work within the hospital system to get me the care and treatment that I needed. I was on the Coop unit just short of three weeks. I live In Pennsylvania and had a ten-hour drive to get home after the two surgeries and appropriate recovery time. I made it very clear to Hayley that it was very important to me that I was able to be discharged as soon as it was safe for me to travel as I really wanted to be home to recover there. Hayley went above and beyond what is expected to work with the entire burn team to get me the opportunity to be discharged a day earlier than had been planned since my Second Surgery was completed. She provided excellent care and coordinated my discharge in a manner that made me understand all of the care that I needed and how it would be provided. She made sure that I knew it was important to take breaks on the drive home every two hours to get out and walk and stretch my legs. She told me how important it was to continue to point my toes up and down and lift and lower my legs while in the car. All of these actions helped me cope with the difficult task of sitting in the car on a long ride after surgery. All of the actions that Hayley took to get me out the door early armed with all of the knowledge I needed to understand the difficult road and how to cope with the pain through appropriate pain management tactics and how important continuity of OT and PT activities all through my follow up to help me be in the best place possible during my recovery.

Hayley was there for me in the beginning of my care and her ability to use humor and compassion while providing me with hope for my future. It was clear to me that she provided me with excellent care during every interaction we had during my care on the Coop Unit. She was there for me at the end of my time on the Coop Unit and I felt prepared and positive about the unknown next steps of my recovery because she talked me through it and made me feel that I had the strength to tackle all of the challenges ahead of me.