We had a patient on the unit that was there for almost 6 months. The patient received a special device for their heart. Julie took care of this patient from the start. The patient started on ECMO. They were sedated and unable to interact with the staff, but Julie formed an instant relationship with the family.

As the patient progressed, she requested to take care of them and spent much time at the bedside with this patient. After a couple months, it was Julie who got the patient up to walk for the first time. She was their cheerleader every day and constantly encouraged them to walk one more step, comb their hair, and brush their teeth.

The patient truly enjoyed having Julie as their nurse. They asked about her when she wasn't there and their smile lit up the room when she was. She took time to take the patient off the floor to get some sunlight and encouraged the family to bring in pictures of the patient and their family. Julie also helped to coordinate the OSU football players to come in and visit. The patient loved football and was so excited to have them there. The patient was able to get pictures with them and even do the O-H-I-O!

Unfortunately, the patient's condition took a turn for the worse. Julie was there for this too.
She held their hand and reassured them as they were going through this. The patient ended up unconscious and hope for recovery was grim. It was Julie who walked the patient's family through this process and eventually withdrew support. It was Julie who gave the family hugs, cried with them, and wiped their tears. She even went to the patient's memorial service.

The family was very thankful for the extra time that the team gave them with the patient. They were especially thankful to Julie as she was one of the patient's "favorite nurses".

Julie is a wonderful nurse and this is just one example of the personalized care she gives to her patients.