Rachel Melby
March 2016
Rachel
Melby
,
BSN
General Surgery
Ministry Saint Joseph's Hospital
Marshfield
,
WI
United States
I would like to nominate Rachel Melby for the DAISY award. I had an emergent bowel resection early on Christmas Eve morning and spent the next 16 days (& 2 holidays) in the hospital on 4N. Being a nurse myself and on the same unit, I am well aware of the complications that can arise. And of course, I had to develop one of those complications, an ileus, was miserable and had to have an NG reinserted. I was feeling very sick and depressed and I actually felt like I didn't want to do this anymore.
Rachel was my nurse on the day shift. She was very compassionate and professional in her care delivery. I was given some news from the surgeon that they would be running some tests that day to determine if I would need another surgery. I was pretty distraught and Rachel came in and talked to me and tried to calm me. I remember feeling very cold and Rachel brought me a warm blanket but then picked up the little square blanket my granddaughter made for me and covered me with that also. That brought a smile to my face. But she didn't stop there; she continued to check on me, offering to play cards or a game with me to lift my spirits and deter me from sleeping all the time. On one of her checks on me, she took the time to ask me if there was anything I would like to talk about trying to get me to open up and talk about my concerns and fears. When my tests came back OK, she was as excited as I was to hear I wouldn't need further surgery. She even spoke with my wife, listening to her concerns about my mood and other concerns and Rachel followed up on these and kept my wife in the loop. I was told later that Rachel had even gone to her supervisor discussing how miserable I was and asked if there was anything more they could do to make things better.
Rachel went above and beyond her call of duty in trying to turn my recovery around; Rachel took care of ME, the person. I think Rachel was very instrumental in both my physical and emotional recovery and I thank her for the outstanding care she gave me as a patient but even more so, as a person.
Rachel was my nurse on the day shift. She was very compassionate and professional in her care delivery. I was given some news from the surgeon that they would be running some tests that day to determine if I would need another surgery. I was pretty distraught and Rachel came in and talked to me and tried to calm me. I remember feeling very cold and Rachel brought me a warm blanket but then picked up the little square blanket my granddaughter made for me and covered me with that also. That brought a smile to my face. But she didn't stop there; she continued to check on me, offering to play cards or a game with me to lift my spirits and deter me from sleeping all the time. On one of her checks on me, she took the time to ask me if there was anything I would like to talk about trying to get me to open up and talk about my concerns and fears. When my tests came back OK, she was as excited as I was to hear I wouldn't need further surgery. She even spoke with my wife, listening to her concerns about my mood and other concerns and Rachel followed up on these and kept my wife in the loop. I was told later that Rachel had even gone to her supervisor discussing how miserable I was and asked if there was anything more they could do to make things better.
Rachel went above and beyond her call of duty in trying to turn my recovery around; Rachel took care of ME, the person. I think Rachel was very instrumental in both my physical and emotional recovery and I thank her for the outstanding care she gave me as a patient but even more so, as a person.