Juanita was our primary when we first got admitted in the NICU. It will be a day that I never forget as my son L, at 26 weeks, had a traumatic entry into this world at our home. The NICU became our home for the 4 months that L was there, and our home became a hotel. We would head home for the basic tasks like sleeping, cooking, laundry and caring for our dogs. The first few weeks felt like a haze to me as I was in the midst of digesting a sea of unknowns related to our son's future. Seeing my son struggle to do basic things like breathe on his own, control his temperature and learn how to feed has really made me more grateful for where he is today.
Juanita's presence during our 4-month stay at the NICU gave me so much comfort in a time where I never felt more alone in my life. Her compassion and emotional support were not just for my son but also extended to my spouse and me. She cared so much for us both and L that she made our stay in NICU a comfortable place, close enough for us to feel like it was a home. I remember the days she would regularly check in with me during kangaroo hour to ask if I had lunch if I needed a bathroom break if I needed to pump and the list goes on. When your son is struggling to do things that he shouldn't be doing being born premature, it is hard to want to care for yourself. So, for someone like Juanita to remind you of self-care, she provided so much comfort and assurance at a time when my life was filled with so much uncertainty.
She was very knowledgeable in the daily care of L because of her seniority in experiences and was extremely patient with us when it came to answering questions and explaining/helping us in caring for L. Knowing what we know now and looking back, I am almost certain that our incessant questioning and requests for help for L could have come across as annoying or over-doing it but never during that time did Juanita ever display any negative expressions. She was extremely patient in answering all of our questions, no matter how many times we may haveasked in different ways!
Juanita carries a strong sense of calmness and confidence and it made us feel at ease to share all our concerns. I remembered that a week after L was born, his brain bleed was categorized as Grade 1, 2, and 4. I recall Dr. H, being frank and sharing all of the potential risks associated with this condition. My heart broke instantly, and I remember crying that entire night. Dr. H advised me to wait for the 1-month brain ultrasound as it would give a more accurate diagnosis of L's brain condition. The next 4 weeks proved to be one of the longest times of our lives. During this period, I confided a lot to Juanita about my concerns regarding the outcome of L's brain ultrasound. On the day of the ultrasound, I remember feeling a huge weight on me that morning. His ultrasound was completed around noon that day and I remember telling Juanita that I was so mentally exhausted, I was going to take a nap and requested she wake me up once the results came out. Around 3 pm that day, Juanita woke me up and told me Dr. J wanted to see me in the doctor's nook to review the results on her computer. The minutes after proved to give great joy to us when we found out that L's brain ultrasound came back normal. That day I was so appreciative of Juanita's efforts in recognizing our major concern for L and how she collaborated with Dr. J to provide the results to us in a timely manner. Her swift action in collaborating with the healthcare team reflects how empathetic she was with us for a concern that had been weighing on our minds for weeks.
Fast forward to our last few weeks and days in NICU, there were moments where we would be running late due to running necessary errands or because we stayed late with L the night before; each time we called Juanita she would always reassure us that L was fine and that there was no need to rush. At times when he was fussy and wanted attention, Juanita would go above and beyond in accommodating his fussiness by carrying him around the unit and even bringing him in for an impromptu meeting at the nurse's station at one point! The little things she did meant so much for us because having your baby in NICU felt so unnatural and the thought that he was with someone that you trust and acted like a "parent" was overwhelmingly reassuring to us. She was always positive and never once made us feel guilty if we were running later than usual in seeing L.
Overall, Juanita is a true DAISY Nurse primarily for the person she is; showing empathy, compassion, confidence, calmness, professionalism, patience (and the list goes on!) for both L, my spouse and I during our 4-month stay at the NICU. Her genuineness has touched our lives and brought so much hope and calmness during a situation where only time could tell how things would unfold with our son L. It sounds so cliché to say that she is an angel in scrubs. I simply cannot see how her role can be considered a job, it is truly a calling.