My husband and I were at Essentia for a very difficult day. I was admitted and was set to have a D&C procedure at 9:25am. I am not sure how often there is a D&C procedure, but this one was different, it was us. My husband and I were very nervous about surgery and unfortunately the surgery wasn't for our broken hearts. It was to remove the baby we lost due to miscarriage. We had been trying for years to get pregnant and it finally happened. We went from one ultrasound and being able to watch our baby's heartbeat, to the next ultrasound that showed no sign of cardiac activity. We were devastated.
Marnie did not know our story and didn't need to. Our story didn't matter. But it did. Through our tears, we shared our story with her and how difficult it was to be there. It was then that we knew Marnie genuinely cared. She rested her hand on my shoulder and I could feel more than just the warmth of her hand. I could feel love and compassion. My husband and I felt instant relief as we knew we were in good hands. Literally.
In walks another nurse to start my IV. Marnie didn't leave us. She talked with us, not at us. She went through in great detail what was happening, how the day would go, and how she would make sure everything went well. The IV was started and the nurse that started it walked out after mentioning I may taste some metallic taste. I didn't, but the room started turning white and I didn't feel very good. I was having a "vasovagal" response. According to my husband, my eyes rolled back into my head and out I went. It may have only been for a second or two, but to my husband it was the scariest seconds of his life. Marnie gently took my head, rested it on the back of the chair, started blowing cool air on me as I was hot and clammy. Marnie played with my hair until I was back to 100%. She kept saying, "Are you ok? Are you ok?" My husband thought she was asking me but she was actually asking him! She calmly explained what had happened and made sure I was feeling ready before moving on with anything else. Again, her care went above and beyond our expectations.
Before we knew it, it was time to go to the next area. Marnie helped me use the restroom one last time and away we went. I didn't want her to leave me. In our short time with her, both my husband and I felt comfortable with her and trusted her. After several hours I was able to be back in the recovery area with my husband. As Marnie was walking out with her purse at the end of her shift, she made sure to stop in my room and make sure I was good before leaving. Talk about amazing.
I can't imagine a nurse more deserving of some recognition with the DAISY Award. Essentia and her team are fortunate to have her on their team.