Kathleen Saunders
September 2018
Kathleen
Saunders
,
BSN, RN
Labor and Delivery
Sentara Norfolk General Hospital
Norfolk
,
VA
United States

 

 

 

Words can't describe the gratitude and appreciation I have for Kathleen - in fact, I am crying as I complete this form. I know people in this field, for the most part, are here because they love what they do. However, Kathleen's care and support went far beyond love for her job - her actions demonstrated genuine compassion for me as a patient, even more, me as a person.
Specifically, I am overwhelmed by her willingness and ability to be really present with me during such a terrifying time of delivering my babies and knowing they likely would not survive. Because of the chaos and hospital rules, my parents couldn't be present during parts of the delivery, but Kathleen stepped in and never left my side. She was like my mom, standing beside me and comforting me all of the ways. She even impressed my family by how nurturing she was with taking pictures of my babies and preparing their memory box. She even advocated for me in the presence of my family which isn't the easiest thing to do, by always checking with me first and carefully making sure I was okay with everything being done. As if all of that weren't enough, she continues to check on me before and after her shifts to make sure I'm doing alright.