Madison Winkler
April 2021
Madison
Winkler
,
RN
Neuro Critical Care /ICU
Methodist University Hosptial
You would not have known she had anything else to do that night by the patience she had with him.
The hardest part of having a loved one in the hospital during this COVID pandemic is not being able to see them or be with them. The only thing that makes it bearable is having caring Nurses who understand that struggle and go out of their way to make it easier for you (and your loved one).
My father fell off a ladder onto his head while cleaning out the gutters at his home, and had to be airlifted to Methodist University and placed on life support. His hospital stay lasted for five weeks, with the first three being on the neuro ICU floor. Due to COVID, the hospital was not allowing visitors except for surgical patients and near-death circumstances.
During the third week of his hospital visit, my father had a trach placed so he could be extubated. When coming out of sedation, he went into V-tach and had to be coded, so my mother, two sisters, and I were able to go to the hospital to see him. Madison was his Nurse that night. Her caring attitude was outstanding to me. She would take the time to try to understand what my dad was trying to tell her. She never rushed it. You would not have known she had anything else to do that night by the patience she had with him.
As a Nurse Practitioner and former hospital floor Nurse, I can remember how much work goes into a Nurse's shift and know this is no small feat, especially for an Intensive Care Unit Nurse. She would listen to my mother, sisters and I, answered all of our questions, and took note of concerns we had, such as pain control (since dad is hard-headed and will not mention when he is in pain). Knowing we had driven an hour and a half to get there, she allowed us to stay at the hospital for several hours to be with my dad. She made us feel like he was her number one priority. In addition to the care she showed while we were at the hospital, she was considerate and caring enough to use her personal cell phone to text me updates after we had left whenever something new happened or changes occurred, giving me some peace of mind between my calls for updates every 3-4 hours.
I feel like I cannot say enough good things about Madison and the care she provided while my dad was her patient. Coming from a family of healthcare providers (as stated earlier, I am a Nurse practitioner, my father is a pharmacist, my younger sister is a physical therapist, and my youngest sister is a Nurse in Nurse Practitioner School) I want to stress what an asset she is to Methodist University. The comfort she gave my family and I that night, and the other nights she was his Nurse, was invaluable and helped save my sanity while my dad was in the hospital.
My father fell off a ladder onto his head while cleaning out the gutters at his home, and had to be airlifted to Methodist University and placed on life support. His hospital stay lasted for five weeks, with the first three being on the neuro ICU floor. Due to COVID, the hospital was not allowing visitors except for surgical patients and near-death circumstances.
During the third week of his hospital visit, my father had a trach placed so he could be extubated. When coming out of sedation, he went into V-tach and had to be coded, so my mother, two sisters, and I were able to go to the hospital to see him. Madison was his Nurse that night. Her caring attitude was outstanding to me. She would take the time to try to understand what my dad was trying to tell her. She never rushed it. You would not have known she had anything else to do that night by the patience she had with him.
As a Nurse Practitioner and former hospital floor Nurse, I can remember how much work goes into a Nurse's shift and know this is no small feat, especially for an Intensive Care Unit Nurse. She would listen to my mother, sisters and I, answered all of our questions, and took note of concerns we had, such as pain control (since dad is hard-headed and will not mention when he is in pain). Knowing we had driven an hour and a half to get there, she allowed us to stay at the hospital for several hours to be with my dad. She made us feel like he was her number one priority. In addition to the care she showed while we were at the hospital, she was considerate and caring enough to use her personal cell phone to text me updates after we had left whenever something new happened or changes occurred, giving me some peace of mind between my calls for updates every 3-4 hours.
I feel like I cannot say enough good things about Madison and the care she provided while my dad was her patient. Coming from a family of healthcare providers (as stated earlier, I am a Nurse practitioner, my father is a pharmacist, my younger sister is a physical therapist, and my youngest sister is a Nurse in Nurse Practitioner School) I want to stress what an asset she is to Methodist University. The comfort she gave my family and I that night, and the other nights she was his Nurse, was invaluable and helped save my sanity while my dad was in the hospital.