Joshua Shouse, RN

At 6 days old, we took our baby, W, to the emergency department because her temperature at home reached 95 degrees. When we arrived, Josh was the nurse who was assigned to our case, and we will forever be grateful for that decision. During our stay, W had to receive a full workup for sepsis, and every test in the book was run due to her age.

As parents, we both felt helpless, but one positive was the tremendous attention Josh gave W during this time. Throughout all the tests, he talked to us through everything that was going on, and when we needed a change of subject to lighten the mood, he conversed about normal things like coffee and hobbies. As exhausted and worried parents, we appreciated that he took the time to read the room, made sure W's dad and I understood everything, and helped us stay positive. W later went on to be admitted overnight for observation, where other nurses on the floor complimented how perfectly the IV was placed and wrapped around her hand. No parent ever wants to see their child in the hospital, but hearing other nurses compliment the care Josh gave W in the ER was a small thing that made us smile during our hospital stay.

Twelve hours after being discharged, we had to take W back to the emergency department because of concerns about her temperature. A female nurse came to take us back to our ER room; however, Josh came around the corner, said, "I saw her name on the board," and took over W's care for that visit. Having Josh take care of her on the follow-up visit was a huge relief because he was already familiar with the care and treatment she received. Seeing a familiar face in the emergency department and hearing Josh remember W after seeing her name on the board again told us as parents that our baby wasn't just another checklist patient. Our little girl was cared for, we were heard as parents, and W received the attention she needed to later thrive as a now three-week-old healthy baby.