Lindsey Arms
October 2021
Lindsey
Arms
,
RN
Cardiovascular ICU
John Muir Health, Concord Medical Center
Concord
,
CA
United States
We especially appreciated the way Lindsey spoke to Dad even while he was sedated as if he could hear and understand her telling him to fight because she had grown attached to our family.
My dad was admitted to the hospital where they determined he had pneumonia and a leaky valve. Once the pneumonia had cleared sufficiently the surgeon attempted to repair the valve in a less invasive manner through the groin. Unfortunately, a tear occurred and the surgeon shared with us that they needed to open his chest to make the repair making the initial 2-3 hour surgery much longer. We were given updates throughout the day but 8 hours later we were told that they could not control Dad’s bleeding (due to blood thinners) so the surgeon opted to leave his chest open and transfer him to the ICU. Dad was in the CVICU for 11 days with his chest open and then once his chest was closed - on a vent for a few more weeks.
Throughout this time the entire nursing staff in the CVICU was incredibly attentive with their care for Dad. We especially appreciated the way Lindsey spoke to Dad even while he was sedated as if he could hear and understand her telling him to fight because she had grown attached to our family. Lindsey was also one of the first nurses who cared for Dad when he was first moved to the CVICU. She kindly and patiently explained everything that was happening to Dad and what they were doing. As Dad slowly woke from his sedation, Lindsey would take the time to video chat with our family when it seemed that he was having a good night and was more lucid. (Initially he would only look at us since he was still intubated). But our family appreciated her willingness to reach out to us when Dad seemed more alert and interactive despite being nonverbal.
Finally Lindsey (along with the other amazing nurses in the CVICU and the nurse managers who helped make it happen) got Dad in a wheelchair and we were able to wheel him to the 1st floor windows to see his kids and grandkids with signs greeting him on his birthday! I can’t express enough the wonderful support and care each and every nurse gave Dad and our family. However Lindsey went the extra mile with video calls to us in the evenings when she knew we’d appreciate seeing Dad doing well since he was so sick. And even as we watched her care for Dad, we noticed her kind demeanor and desire to anticipate his needs even when he could not verbalize them.
Throughout this time the entire nursing staff in the CVICU was incredibly attentive with their care for Dad. We especially appreciated the way Lindsey spoke to Dad even while he was sedated as if he could hear and understand her telling him to fight because she had grown attached to our family. Lindsey was also one of the first nurses who cared for Dad when he was first moved to the CVICU. She kindly and patiently explained everything that was happening to Dad and what they were doing. As Dad slowly woke from his sedation, Lindsey would take the time to video chat with our family when it seemed that he was having a good night and was more lucid. (Initially he would only look at us since he was still intubated). But our family appreciated her willingness to reach out to us when Dad seemed more alert and interactive despite being nonverbal.
Finally Lindsey (along with the other amazing nurses in the CVICU and the nurse managers who helped make it happen) got Dad in a wheelchair and we were able to wheel him to the 1st floor windows to see his kids and grandkids with signs greeting him on his birthday! I can’t express enough the wonderful support and care each and every nurse gave Dad and our family. However Lindsey went the extra mile with video calls to us in the evenings when she knew we’d appreciate seeing Dad doing well since he was so sick. And even as we watched her care for Dad, we noticed her kind demeanor and desire to anticipate his needs even when he could not verbalize them.