Laura Thompson
May 2025
Laura
Thompson
,
RN
Pediatric Emergency Department
UVA Health
Charlottesville
,
VA
United States
Ms. Thompson remained respectful and compassionate with her
My daughter, who struggles with mental health challenges, including severe anxiety, was transported to the UVA ER via ambulance from a local urgent care center when the physician there had concerns about a heart murmur and irregular heart rate. This situation would have probably made anyone a little anxious, but it completely panicked my daughter and she became convinced that she was going to die. As she underwent various tests and was monitored in UVA's Pediatric Emergency Department, it was ultimately determined that she did not have a heart murmur and all the "scary" medical problems were ruled out. Unfortunately, my daughter was already thoroughly convinced that there was a serious medical problem and feared that she was going to die if they didn't find out what was wrong with her. As the medical staff tried to explain to her that the medical concerns had been ruled out, she became upset and verbally lashed out at them, claiming that they didn't care if she died. Throughout this challenging visit, there was one staff person who I was immensely grateful for, Ms. Laura Thompson, my daughter's RN Clinician.
Ms. Thompson was so patient and kind with my daughter throughout the entire visit. Even when my daughter became upset and escalated, Ms. Thompson remained respectful and compassionate with her (whereas others might become short with or dismissive of someone in that state). Ms. Thompson did an excellent job of explaining everything to my daughter and answering her questions in a way that she could understand. Ms. Thompson went out of her way to make sure my daughter was as comfortable as possible and even stayed with her and helped her through a period where she felt like she couldn't breathe after she was given a sedative medication. I felt compelled to submit this nomination, as I feel like Ms. Thompson went above and beyond her job requirements and showed extreme kindness and non-judgmental compassion, helping my daughter through a very challenging situation. Ms. Thompson is a true asset to the UVA Pediatric Emergency Department.
Ms. Thompson was so patient and kind with my daughter throughout the entire visit. Even when my daughter became upset and escalated, Ms. Thompson remained respectful and compassionate with her (whereas others might become short with or dismissive of someone in that state). Ms. Thompson did an excellent job of explaining everything to my daughter and answering her questions in a way that she could understand. Ms. Thompson went out of her way to make sure my daughter was as comfortable as possible and even stayed with her and helped her through a period where she felt like she couldn't breathe after she was given a sedative medication. I felt compelled to submit this nomination, as I feel like Ms. Thompson went above and beyond her job requirements and showed extreme kindness and non-judgmental compassion, helping my daughter through a very challenging situation. Ms. Thompson is a true asset to the UVA Pediatric Emergency Department.