Heather agreed to be my preceptor in order for me to complete 80 hours of clinicals so that I could renew my nursing license after being out of work for over ten years. I was very nervous returning to the NICU after being gone for so long, but she quickly put me at ease and was very encouraging. She was very patient with me, taking the time to explain things and finding learning opportunities for me in the unit. She made sure that I had the opportunity to perform skills and do direct patient care. Heather is a very compassionate and caring nurse who truly cares about her patients and their families.
One particular situation really inspired me. It was almost the end of the shift change and a new mom who hadn't seen her baby yet came up to the unit. Although Heather should have been doing her end-of-shift charting, she spent at least an hour helping this new mom breastfeed her twins. This was a new mom and was very nervous and frustrated, but Heather stayed with her and was able to get not only one, but both of her twins to latch on. They were behind a curtain but I could hear Heather encouraging her and telling her that she was doing a great job. The mom left the NICU with a huge smile on her face and was clearly so excited to have held her babies for the first time and breastfeed them. Heather stayed after shift change to finish her charting and she was equally excited for the mom. It was so encouraging to me as a fellow nurse and also reminded me of the joy of being a nurse and experiencing those moments. It made me so glad to be returning to the nursing and I couldn't have been paired up with a better preceptor as Heather. She is truly one-of-a-kind!