Nellie Gappmayer, RN

My 16 year-old daughter had to be in the PICU for five days & was in a medically induced coma. As you can imagine, this was a very stressful time as a mother. It was an amazing gift to have Nellie as our nurse each of those days. My understanding is that we got this unusual level of continuous care from the same provider because Nellie asked for shift changes so she could stay with us through this difficult time. Nellie learned quickly that we were a family who wanted to know & understand everything that was happening in our daughter’s care. She was always open & thorough about explaining all that was going on. She narrated her care every step of the way. She explained slowly & thoroughly all the different procedures & options & possibilities. Most importantly, her warmth & care was top-level. I believe she truly cared about my daughter. Although my daughter was in a coma the entire time, at one point Nellie said, “I’ve grown to love this girl” and I believed her. I could not have asked for a more caring nurse through this difficult time & all these months later I remain extremely grateful.