Fer Smith
March 2018
Jennifer
Smith
,
ADN, RN
Labor and Delivery
Ascension NE Wisconsin Mercy Hospital
Oshkosh
,
WI
United States
This is the second time we had Fer (Jennifer) as a nurse. In November 2014, she took care of me when I went into preterm labor with my twins at 20 weeks and I was in the hospital on bedrest. She was a huge support for me to stay positive and to carry my boys to a safe gestation. Unfortunately, they were born at 21 weeks, but I always will remember Fer's compassion and support through a very awful and scary time. We were delighted as Fer followed us into our room this past October as she was our nurse again! I was trying for a VBAC and was nervous, but Fer came to check on me several times throughout the morning and answered any and all questions my husband or I had. She helped to facilitate my epidural and was thoroughly and pleasantly surprised when I progressed quickly and was ready to push after only a few hours of my water breaking. My daughter was born painlessly and quicker than I could have hoped for and into a room of happy, smiling faces.
Fer later told me it was her first successful VBAC after 7 years of being a delivery nurse and she couldn't have been happier for us. Fast forward to a couple hours later, I suddenly was having excruciating pain that kept getting worse, even with pain medication. The look of concern on Fer's face was so genuine that I felt that I was one of her own family members and that she would do whatever it took to help me. She was in the middle of giving my daughter a bath, but after assessing my daughter and handing her to my husband, knowing she was healthy and safe, Fer focused all her attention on me. I ended up needing surgery to remove a very large blood clot, which once again, she helped facilitate. She also advocated for me to try not to cause any more pain, including insisting surgery not transfer me to a cart, instead, wheel in my bed, eliminating even one painful transfer.
When I woke up in recovery, I felt so much better and by the time I returned to my husband and daughter, Fer's shift had ended. However, she was there the next morning, relieved that I was doing much better. When she said she was unable to sleep that night, out of concern for me, I once again felt like I was one of her own family members. My almost 2-year-old son came to visit (unfortunately, Fer was not my nurse for his delivery) and she fell in love with him as well. To conclude my novel, Fer is the definition of the all-around top-notch nurse who provides exceptional, personalized, compassionate care that goes beyond every one of the checked boxes on the front of this page!
***
Fer was always telling stories, making jokes, and going out of her way for us. She made us feel right at home and was just all around awesome!
***
From the moment we arrived at Labor and Delivery, she was there; not only doing her job but helping me with back labor. She helped us stay natural, focused and in the tub earlier to relieve the pain. After the birth of our son, she helped educate us on meds, feeding, breast pumping and her experiences. I felt like we know her for years. She did so much. She is amazing!
Fer later told me it was her first successful VBAC after 7 years of being a delivery nurse and she couldn't have been happier for us. Fast forward to a couple hours later, I suddenly was having excruciating pain that kept getting worse, even with pain medication. The look of concern on Fer's face was so genuine that I felt that I was one of her own family members and that she would do whatever it took to help me. She was in the middle of giving my daughter a bath, but after assessing my daughter and handing her to my husband, knowing she was healthy and safe, Fer focused all her attention on me. I ended up needing surgery to remove a very large blood clot, which once again, she helped facilitate. She also advocated for me to try not to cause any more pain, including insisting surgery not transfer me to a cart, instead, wheel in my bed, eliminating even one painful transfer.
When I woke up in recovery, I felt so much better and by the time I returned to my husband and daughter, Fer's shift had ended. However, she was there the next morning, relieved that I was doing much better. When she said she was unable to sleep that night, out of concern for me, I once again felt like I was one of her own family members. My almost 2-year-old son came to visit (unfortunately, Fer was not my nurse for his delivery) and she fell in love with him as well. To conclude my novel, Fer is the definition of the all-around top-notch nurse who provides exceptional, personalized, compassionate care that goes beyond every one of the checked boxes on the front of this page!
***
Fer was always telling stories, making jokes, and going out of her way for us. She made us feel right at home and was just all around awesome!
***
From the moment we arrived at Labor and Delivery, she was there; not only doing her job but helping me with back labor. She helped us stay natural, focused and in the tub earlier to relieve the pain. After the birth of our son, she helped educate us on meds, feeding, breast pumping and her experiences. I felt like we know her for years. She did so much. She is amazing!