June 2017
Melissa
Petrie
,
RN
6 South Irving - Med/Surg
Crouse Hospital
Syracuse
,
NY
United States

 

 

 

I am the evening charge nurse in labor and delivery. I wanted to take a few minutes to write and tell you how grateful I am to your staff for the care they provided to my father Charles Young this past week. I have worked at Crouse for 12 years now with a couple breaks in between to pursue other avenues. What ultimately lead me back each time was the family that I have had the privilege of becoming a part of there. This past week I have been on the other side of things. I was the grieving family member and not the nurse. I am having a hard time finding the right words to explain how much of a comfort everyone was to me. My father was not an easy patient. He was combative at times, an annoyance to other patients and their families at times and very difficult to keep comfortable. The entire staff from the nursing students, the aides, nurses, nurse practitioners, physicians and even the transport team were amazing. They were all professional and treated my father with such compassion. I cannot count the times I was asked if I needed anything and if I was doing okay. I felt that they all truly cared and took the extra time out of their crazy days and nights to not only provide the best patient care to my father, but also to make sure I had what I needed. I wish I knew all their names to give them the recognition they deserve. Nicole was his nurse on his final day. She was attentive, compassionate and actually made my father smile at one point during the day which even I couldn't do. She dealt with my endless questions and interruptions and never made me feel like I was bothering her. She went out of her way and called me the minute my father's condition changed. My biggest fear was that he would die alone. Melissa was his nurse on nights. When I came down to see him just before he passed she was in the room rearranging his pillows and covering him up. He looked comfortable and peaceful, something he hadn't been in a while. I believe her extra attention to him made his passing easier. She gave me all the time I needed with him and let me stay until they transported him, all the while asking what she could do for me. Thank you just doesn't seem like enough. As you can imagine this journey has been one of the most difficult times of my life. The support that I was given and the care that was provided to my father reminds me of why I am so profoundly grateful to be a part of our Crouse family. From the bottom of my heart thank you to you and your staff for making such a difference during this difficult time for my father and me.