February 2025
Leigha
Callison
,
RN
Medical Care Unit
Alton Memorial Hospital
Alton
,
IL
United States

 

 

 

We were treated with respect and compassion, knowing Grandma was receiving the best care possible.
We were impressed with MCU's teamwork, care, and compassion. Leigha came in on her days, remaining calm in a room with a stressed family and a very sick grandmother. We felt that Leigha was treating grandma as if she were her own grandmother. She explained things and was available for us every step of the way. She had other patients, but she was a blessing to us. I don't understand, but there was some issue with hospice and how long my grandma could stay once we made her DNR. I must say that Leigha and the doctor helped us deal with all that and got it set up. The two of them used their skills, and without them, it would have been an even harder time for us. Whatever the issues were, they cleared it up, and we got grandma on hospice, where she was given medication for pain and anxiety. They went above and beyond to provide my grandma with the best care. We were treated with respect and compassion, knowing Grandma was receiving the best care possible. I understand that taking care of patients can be emotionally challenging. It's hard watching someone die.
 
Leigha gave so much of herself in caring for grandma. When Leigha left for the night, I was certain she was exhausted, both physically and emotionally. On Saturday, I took my mom home to get some rest, as she is in poor health. We got the call to return to the hospital quickly; grandma was fading. We arrived at the hospital to find Leigha and several technicians helping to clean and change grandma. Pain medications were given, and we knew her time was close. Leigha gave us all the time we needed, with compassion and hugs. When grandma passed, she and another RN came in and let us have time. I can imagine that Leigha was grieving too because she gave so much of herself in caring for her patients and their families. She took care of the arrangements for calling the funeral home for us. We stayed until they came; we might have inconvenienced the schedule for the floor, but she told us to take all the time we needed. Leigha cared for grandma during two shifts. She is absolutely the best an RN can be.