Jonathan Stevens
August 2021
Jonathan
Stevens
,
RN
NICU
San Antonio Medical Center
San Antonio
,
TX
United States
During times of sorrow, he would not let us sit idle in our Fisher House room. He would drag us out to see movies, take us to his favorite food hideouts, and concerts to try to keep our spirits up.
In April, my wife gave birth to our first child, a baby boy who was 3 months premature. It was on that day we met this nurse and it was from that moment that he already made a huge impression on my wife and me. He entered the room where my wife was getting prepped for surgery and established that he was the Charge Nurse and was going to take care of us like we were family. His level of teamwork and leadership skills were poised and proactive amid the chaos of doctors, nurses, aides, students, and the unending beeps and tones given off by various life-saving machines.
His work did not stop there. As my wife fell into a bit of postpartum depression his sense of compassion was right where it needed to be. He was able to drive away other nurses when she needed time alone and brought in specialists from other wards when she wanted someone to talk to. On several occasions, I would go home to study NIH textbooks to try to keep up with the medical jargon so I had a better understanding of the conditions that laden my son. He would come in early or stay late with me to look up answers or ask doctors about those specific conditions and the risks associated with the treatments. He would also do the same with my wife, teaching her about feeding, swaddling, and skin to skin techniques. During times of sorrow, he would not let us sit idle in our Fisher House room. He would drag us out to see movies, take us to his favorite food hideouts, and concerts to try to keep our spirits up. From saying comfortable words to just physically being there in silence if that's what we needed, he was there.
After discharge from the NICU our son was repeatedly sent back to the ER with complications with his nervous/gastrointestinal system and again the nurse's tenacious skill was on display. Several ER doctors and PIC Team Members failed to set IVs in our son. A call was made to the NICU and he was there to get the draws and set central lines with overwhelming precision.
Just over a year later, we had our second son and he was there at the bedside ready to catch our 3 lb son and his exemplary talent was not a step behind where he was when we last met in the ER. The process of staying in the NICU for a second 3-month stay was flawless thanks to the ceaseless positive attention given by Jonathan. His actions are above and beyond the call of duty and are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service.
His work did not stop there. As my wife fell into a bit of postpartum depression his sense of compassion was right where it needed to be. He was able to drive away other nurses when she needed time alone and brought in specialists from other wards when she wanted someone to talk to. On several occasions, I would go home to study NIH textbooks to try to keep up with the medical jargon so I had a better understanding of the conditions that laden my son. He would come in early or stay late with me to look up answers or ask doctors about those specific conditions and the risks associated with the treatments. He would also do the same with my wife, teaching her about feeding, swaddling, and skin to skin techniques. During times of sorrow, he would not let us sit idle in our Fisher House room. He would drag us out to see movies, take us to his favorite food hideouts, and concerts to try to keep our spirits up. From saying comfortable words to just physically being there in silence if that's what we needed, he was there.
After discharge from the NICU our son was repeatedly sent back to the ER with complications with his nervous/gastrointestinal system and again the nurse's tenacious skill was on display. Several ER doctors and PIC Team Members failed to set IVs in our son. A call was made to the NICU and he was there to get the draws and set central lines with overwhelming precision.
Just over a year later, we had our second son and he was there at the bedside ready to catch our 3 lb son and his exemplary talent was not a step behind where he was when we last met in the ER. The process of staying in the NICU for a second 3-month stay was flawless thanks to the ceaseless positive attention given by Jonathan. His actions are above and beyond the call of duty and are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service.