Lauren Cooley, RN

When it came to my room, I had a ton of stress and anxiety. Not only was I having to deal with the condition that was causing me extreme pain, but I was also able to escape from my manipulative relationship of different kinds. I was looking for a way to file for a restraining order against the violent one and kick the other out of my house while in the hospital.

I was also an emotional wreck, being manic, anxious, and sleep-deprived. Lauren immediately came to my rescue. At once, she could tell I was emotionally fragile. She spoke to me with a soothing, gentle, and kind voice. Every time she asked what I would like to be called. She asked assuring questions like "How can I make you feel more comfortable and safe?" When I had questions about my meds, she took as much time as I needed to go over my questions and listen to all I had to say because I know my meds well and have them all written down.

When I told her I sprained my pinky because I twisted my finger sometimes till it broke, she became very concerned and triaged me immediately, got me ice packs, and alerted the doctor. I told her my dog used to stop me from doing that, but she died two years ago. She gave me a hug when I started crying and getting sad when I said I missed her so much. She asked if I had good memories and a picture, so I showed her a couple, and it helped.

Later, when I was getting overwhelmed by my situation and my family pushing for me to get a restraining order because I told them I don't feel safe going home, I asked my nurse what to do because I was so stressed and anxious, and had called the crisis line because of him. She said I can talk to the hospital police for advice, which turned out to be a great resource and help.

Lauren later gave me another hug when I was crying because the day had been so stressful, and all the stress and anxiety made me feel so isolated.  She is awesome!