Jenny Brattensborg
January 2017
Jenny
Brattensborg
,
BSN, RN
PICU
Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota
Minneapolis
,
MN
United States

 

 

 

Our granddaughter, A, was a recent patient at the Children's Hospital. She was life-flighted from a local hospital and spent two weeks recovering from a severe case of encephalitis. All but one night was spent in the PICU. The care she received from Jenny was outstanding! Having a seriously ill child is scary. When your child's life hangs in the balance, you do not leave. My daughter and her sweet husband took turns watching over her.
After several days, they needed rest. Our little patient has two brothers, one still nursing and the other starting his first day of school. A's mom needed to be home some of the time to care for them, but every day leaving her daughter at the hospital was awful. A's dad made arrangements with work and stayed by her side, but he was also ill. A doctor diagnosed him with a double ear infection a few days after A was admitted to the hospital. Both of them needed sleep, but it was hard to leave A in the care of others they didn't know.
One night, Jenny was assigned to be A's nurse. She sat with A, talked sweetly to her, and comforted her and her parents. She made sure A's teeth were brushed, she gave her high 5s, she made sure that she had her favorite toys near and watched over like a family member would. Jenny's positive attitude, professionalism, kindness, and compassion were beyond compare.
A's parents were finally able to leave the hospital knowing that their precious little girl would be okay for a few hours. That kind of trust allowed them to get some sleep, and to return refreshed and ready to deal with the challenges a new day would bring. God Bless Jenny and all nurses and medical staff that go above and beyond basic needs and serve the children.