I am a pediatric nurse and being in the adult world is the scariest role in the world for me. Not only are the patient disease processes foreign, but also the care is so different. Walking into the ICU and having someone tell you your dad is going to be intubated and taken to emergent surgery would often be the scariest news for most families, but all I felt was pure relief.We had finally found that one nurse who recognized a clinically deteriorating patient and made it her job to be his advocate.
That nurse, Peggy Haywood, took her job personally and worked tirelessly to make sure my dad had the best outcome possible when it could have been so much worse. Peggy was the nurse who within minutes of caring for my dad got more done than in the three days prior. The nurse who I can say likely saved my dad's life. She took it upon herself to ask the doctors to stop what they were doing and come see him now.
It's nurses like Peggy who make me proud to be a nurse. It's nurses like Peggy who make me become more astute in my practice and listen more carefully to families when they tell me something is not right. Everyone is somebody's someone, somebody's world. The decisions Peggy made that day gave us more time with our dad. I will never forget her. A million thanks to Peggy. I will be forever grateful!