Paula is probably one of the most compassionate and giving nurses I've ever met. She is highly involved in making our unit the best in the Valley by participating in numerous unit, hospital, and community-based committees. She is involved in developing safety drills to keep our nurses current in critical skills. She participates in the policy committee, making sure our nurses are caring for patients utilizing best practice. She is actively involved in the hospital's Rescue Round-Up.
Additionally, Paula is highly involved in March of Dimes, recently being nominated for the March of Dimes Nurse of the year. Yearly, she organizes the AWC March of Dimes team for the annual walk and in her free time, she participates in a parent support group that assists new parents cope with the birth of extremely premature and/or critically ill newborns. However, her most outstanding asset is how she helps parents grieving the loss of an infant. What inspired me to nominate Paula is a story of how Paula recently helped a mother through the grieving process of losing a baby one day before she was to be induced for labor.
The mother came to our Triage unit one day before the scheduled induction, with the complaint of decreased fetal movement. No fetal heart tones were heard, so an ultrasound was ordered. The ultrasound revealed some movement from the fetus. A stat C/S was done. When the infant was delivered there was no heart rate. CPR on the infant was started but unfortunately, the infant did not survive. Paula was the mother's nurse. She was so compassionate and caring for the mother in her loss. She took amazingly beautiful pictures of the baby. But this is not the only thing Paula did for this mother. Just by chance, she ran into this mother after discharge. Paula has taken the mother under her wing to help her through this heartbreaking loss. She has assisted her in joining a support group for parents who have experienced the loss of a child. She has involved the mother in March of Dimes projects so as to help her through her grieving process by helping others. Paula has even made her numerous gifts commemorating the mother's little angel.
This is just one story of Paula helping a mother. I have many more because I have witnessed her, even when she is crazy busy on our unit, taking the time to talk to each and every one of our mother's that have babies admitted to the nursery. She helps them understand what to expect, how to ask questions, and how to take care of their sick newborn. Paula is an exceptional nurse as well as an extraordinary person.