Nancy Couls
July 2016
Nancy
Couls
,
RN
Intermediate Care, TRCU,Thoracic,Vascular,Tele
Providence Regional Medical Center Everett
Everett
,
WA
United States

 

 

 

My husband and I brought in our son to the emergency room. He is disabled but has a great smile. Caring for him is challenging because he is unable to communicate with people, including us, other than by facial expression. He was diagnosed with pneumonia and was admitted to the hospital. He was very ill during his 16 days (covering 2 admissions) in the hospital and the nursing care he received in the emergency room and on floors 6 and 8 was excellent. Several nurses provided outstanding care that embodied the hospital's mission statement of "embracing the suffering". They were very competent, advocated for us and enjoyed caring for our son; saying things like, "Just seeing your smile made my day!"
However, the nurse that went above and beyond the call of duty was Nancy. She worked the night shift for 4 consecutive days and cared for our son during that time period. It was great to have a nurse who knew our son so well & her enthusiastic care for him brightened our stay during a time when we were so worried about him. On his second admission, he returned to the 8th floor and we forgot to bring a special device that interlocks with his gastric feeding tube that allowed us to easily vent air that had accumulated in his stomach. He was in pain and the nurse wasn't familiar with the device we were looking for. I suggested that she contact Nancy on the 6th floor because she had often used the device on our son when she was caring for him.
Fortunately, Nancy was working and was able to look for the device our son needed. She checked with other floors and nurses- but no luck. It was hard to watch our son in pain. Nancy continued to do computer research to see is she could find a substitute but it seemed hopeless. Nancy later came in with a small syringe that worked. She could have easily given up - but found the solution. She is a new nurse and I admire her pluck and determination. I hope she will receive some acknowledgement for her dedication to relieving a patient's suffering.
Many thanks for such great nursing care Providence Hospital!