Nurse Team 6 West
December 2020
Nurse Team 6 West
at Ascension St John Hospital
Medical / Surgical
Ascension St John Hospital
Kristy Davidson, BSN, RN, HNB-BC, Katlyn Barrette, BSN, RN, Makenna Detkowski, BSN, RN, Indira Murray, BSN, RN, Hugo Stringer, ADN, RN, Lavinia Tulac, BSN, RN
I met all 6 nurses on 6 West just after Christmas 2019. They cared for me into the New Year 2020. Individually they are remarkable nurses. Together, they created such an extraordinary caring, supportive team of nurses that I will remember each of them, forever.
When I was transported to Ascension St. John's Hospital, I was terrified, I had undergone an ERCP at Ascension St. Claire Hospital that was unsuccessful. I was in pain but did not want pain medication for fear of having a negative response to the medicine.
I was brought to my hospital room late in the evening by two paramedics and that is when I first met my night shift nurse, Indira. She said "Hello" and smiled. She also knows me by name!!! When we began to talk, I was surprised and elated to learn that she had read my medical file and knew what had happened to me! My husband was not allowed to travel with me in the ambulance so I arrived alone and in a complete mess. Indira was amazing. She took the time to calm me down and reassure me.
The most startling fact came late in the evening when my husband, doctor, and Indira were in the room with me. My current pain medicine from the first hospital was wearing off and my pain level was increasing. When Indira offered to administer my next round of pain medicine. I refused it, even though it was creeping back up to a ten. That brought everything in the room to a standstill. When she asked, "Why don't you want the medicine?" I replied, "I was afraid of it happening again." Everyone in the room looked dumbfounded, except this nurse. She instinctively knew exactly why I was so terrified. She explained that the medicine she could give me would alleviate the pain but would not put me to sleep. So I agreed to have her administer the medicine. Once everyone had left and Indira returned to check on me, I explained my next biggest fear - sleeping and never waking. She explained to me that if I would allow myself to fall asleep, she would check on me constantly throughout the whole night. And she did.
Indira also explained to me how she could overlap the medicine so that at any given time I would always have some form of pain relief in my body. Up to this point, my story may seem rather ordinary to any hospital staff. That is part of a nurse's job, to nurture and heal the sick. But the next morning when I realized a new nurse would be assigned to me, I was terrified once again of losing my lifeline, Indira. That morning is when I learned how well the nursing staff works as a team!!! My day shift nurse knew exactly what Indira had done through the night to bring me comfort, care, and assurance!
During my week-long stay, the doctors performed a successful ERCP, removing all 3 gallstones that were blocking my bile duct! These bright and caring nurses were there to help me through that recovery (Thank Makenna and Maria). The doctors also removed my gallbladder which brought a new style of pain. Once again, my nurses took the time to educate me on the different topics I would need to know, especially how to stop that breakthrough pain (Thank you Indira and Lavinia); how to roll over in bed (Thank you Hugo); and how to stand up without falling over (Thank you, Kat)!
This pattern of comfort, care, and assurance came with every single nurse who entered my room Indira, Makenna, Lavinia, Maria, Hugo, and Kat! Each nurse took the time to explain what was happening to me, and where would I go for the difficult procedure I still needed. Each nurse made me feel cared for, protected, and definitely safe from the previous complication. I felt as if they could see things through my eyes and understood my fears. All of the nurses' abilities to empathize with my situation were extremely reassuring and heartwarming. Their ease and confidence in the world of medicine gave me the peace I needed to start accepting my situation and to begin healing. In my heart I believe, every one of these hard-working and caring nurses is a DAISY Nurse.
When I was transported to Ascension St. John's Hospital, I was terrified, I had undergone an ERCP at Ascension St. Claire Hospital that was unsuccessful. I was in pain but did not want pain medication for fear of having a negative response to the medicine.
I was brought to my hospital room late in the evening by two paramedics and that is when I first met my night shift nurse, Indira. She said "Hello" and smiled. She also knows me by name!!! When we began to talk, I was surprised and elated to learn that she had read my medical file and knew what had happened to me! My husband was not allowed to travel with me in the ambulance so I arrived alone and in a complete mess. Indira was amazing. She took the time to calm me down and reassure me.
The most startling fact came late in the evening when my husband, doctor, and Indira were in the room with me. My current pain medicine from the first hospital was wearing off and my pain level was increasing. When Indira offered to administer my next round of pain medicine. I refused it, even though it was creeping back up to a ten. That brought everything in the room to a standstill. When she asked, "Why don't you want the medicine?" I replied, "I was afraid of it happening again." Everyone in the room looked dumbfounded, except this nurse. She instinctively knew exactly why I was so terrified. She explained that the medicine she could give me would alleviate the pain but would not put me to sleep. So I agreed to have her administer the medicine. Once everyone had left and Indira returned to check on me, I explained my next biggest fear - sleeping and never waking. She explained to me that if I would allow myself to fall asleep, she would check on me constantly throughout the whole night. And she did.
Indira also explained to me how she could overlap the medicine so that at any given time I would always have some form of pain relief in my body. Up to this point, my story may seem rather ordinary to any hospital staff. That is part of a nurse's job, to nurture and heal the sick. But the next morning when I realized a new nurse would be assigned to me, I was terrified once again of losing my lifeline, Indira. That morning is when I learned how well the nursing staff works as a team!!! My day shift nurse knew exactly what Indira had done through the night to bring me comfort, care, and assurance!
During my week-long stay, the doctors performed a successful ERCP, removing all 3 gallstones that were blocking my bile duct! These bright and caring nurses were there to help me through that recovery (Thank Makenna and Maria). The doctors also removed my gallbladder which brought a new style of pain. Once again, my nurses took the time to educate me on the different topics I would need to know, especially how to stop that breakthrough pain (Thank you Indira and Lavinia); how to roll over in bed (Thank you Hugo); and how to stand up without falling over (Thank you, Kat)!
This pattern of comfort, care, and assurance came with every single nurse who entered my room Indira, Makenna, Lavinia, Maria, Hugo, and Kat! Each nurse took the time to explain what was happening to me, and where would I go for the difficult procedure I still needed. Each nurse made me feel cared for, protected, and definitely safe from the previous complication. I felt as if they could see things through my eyes and understood my fears. All of the nurses' abilities to empathize with my situation were extremely reassuring and heartwarming. Their ease and confidence in the world of medicine gave me the peace I needed to start accepting my situation and to begin healing. In my heart I believe, every one of these hard-working and caring nurses is a DAISY Nurse.