Joan Ballantyne
February 2018
Joan
Ballantyne
,
RN
Intensive Care Unit
Norwood Hospital
Norwood
,
MA
United States

 

 

 

Joan is the nurse every family wishes their loved one would have. We visited my mother-in-law who went from poor health to DNR in the ICU over a few days and she was comatose throughout her stay. Joan was her nurse for various shifts while there.
When Dr. K broke the news to us that she would not recover, Joan was there with us. Joan has a level of caring and compassion one can only imagine. She was not only attentive to ensuring that my mother-in-law was comfortable and not feeling pain but also attentive and tender-hearted to our family as we spent time and said our goodbyes. She consoled my father-in-law with kindness and listened attentively to his stories of 62 years of marriage and looked at his photos with him, helping him to grieve his loved one.
When it was time to move Mom to a private room, Joan accompanied us. While our family waited outside the room, I could hear Joan telling our unconscious Mom sweet nothings, assuring her that she was alright and in good hands and tucking her under the blankets. She is a caring person with a deeper level of genuine compassion than most I have encountered.