Heather Dean, RN

I work with Heather Dean, who always goes above and beyond for her patients and would be the first to say this is what being a nurse is! I completely agree that being a nurse is so much more than our knowledge, skills, and experience, but being there for our patients in the best of times, in the worst, and in between. Serving our patients with compassion and being their advocates when they themselves may not even know they need it .

From the late hours of a Saturday into the early hours of Sunday, I watched Heather do what she likes so many of us deem as a part of what we do and who we are, but it was instead a testimony to the compassion she has for her patient and the depths at which she will go to advocate for them and their unborn child.

What seemed like a routine triage for abdominal pain quickly turned into something so much more. Due to Heather's thorough assessment, calming and compassionate demeanor, she quickly learned the patient was a victim of domestic abuse and that this was not her first encounter of being abused by someone who was supposed to love and protect them.

Heather made the patient feel at ease to discuss this issue, knowing that she was not judging her and instead was concerned for her safety and the safety of her unborn child. Heather talked with the patient to find a safe place for her to go away from her abuser. The patient also called a trusted friend to come be with her.

After the friend arrived, and due to the rapport Heather had established with the patient, the patient was able to have the courage to remove herself from the situation, but to also press charges against her abuser, have pictures of the most recent abuse taken, and meet with the police to give a statement on all that had occurred and had been occurring.

This step for this patient and her unborn child is absolutely monumental as she is taking the steps to stop the abuse and keep her and her unborn child safe. Had Heather not been so astute in her assessment of this patient, made her feel so comfortable and truly cared for, she would have come in, been checked out, possibly not even disclosed what was going on, much less taken the steps to remove herself from the situation, move forward with reporting it, pressing charges, and in the end making sure she and her unborn child were safe,

Let's be honest, if this had not occurred, she very well could end up a statistic and one that may include the death of her unborn baby and herself.

Heather always goes above and beyond to make sure her patients get the care they want, need, and deserve, and that care includes her always caring and compassionate nature by always advocating for her patients when needed.