Lucy has always been a competent, kind compassionate nurse. No matter the situation, she can always be counted on to do what is right for the patient and advocate for the betterment of the unit. She is, in a word, a JOY to work with. In this situation, however, I truly believe she went above and beyond her normal duties.
After pushing with a patient for three hours, her patient, unfortunately, has an unexpected and difficult c-section complicated by hemorrhaging requiring a blood transfusion. This was, of course, followed closely by a panic attack. Lucy not only handled these new developments as they came with her usual efficiency and aplomb, but she simultaneously handled the emotional needs of these new parents with great compassion and patience. To add to all of this, the next day she voluntarily took this same patient and made it her mission to provide her and new twins with the very best care she could give. Rather than transfer the patent to the postpartum unit, Lucy kept the patient and tirelessly worked the entire shift to see to it that the patient ambulated properly, ate, had lactation services and bonded with her babies. It wasn't easy. Getting the patient comfortable enough to walk or even sit up was a challenge, but Lucy never gave up and pushed her to do it successfully twice. She engaged lactation and pediatrics to help the mom achieve the goal of breastfeeding despite all the complications she endured.
Given the extremely high acuity and emotional burden of this family, it would have been easy enough to simply transfer her to another unit, but Lucy chose not to. Lucy advocated for her patient to stay so she could continue to give the family the care and support they needed and deserved. It was a perfect example of what our profession is all about: the patients!