Rebecca Roes
March 2025
Rebecca
Roes
,
RN
NCCU
Penn State Health - Milton S. Hershey Medical Center
Hershey
,
PA
United States
Becki empowered this woman to break free from the cycle of abuse and provided her with the courage to leave an oppressive environment for the sake of her own well-being and the well-being of her children.
Rebecca Roes is a nurse whose exceptional care, compassion, and dedication consistently make a profound impact on her patients. She embodies everything the DAISY Award stands for, consistently going above and beyond to ensure the comfort, safety, and dignity of those in her care.
Throughout my years of working alongside Becki, she has demonstrated a deep and genuine empathy for her patients. One particular instance stands out as a testament to her exceptional care.
A patient was admitted to the Neuroscience Critical Care Unit with seizure-like activity. This patient had visited two other hospitals before coming to Hershey Medical Center, where neither facility could determine the cause of her seizures. Both hospitals dismissed her seizures as non-epileptic, which the patient was told meant they weren’t real.
When she arrived at Hershey Medical Center, a continuous electroencephalogram (EEG) was ordered to look for seizures. As Becki cared for the patient over several days, she noticed a significant shift in the patient’s demeanor after the EEG results came back negative. Despite being told there was no clear medical explanation for her seizures, the patient remained visibly upset and worried, a reaction that went beyond the typical feelings of frustration or defeat.
Becki, sensitive to her patient’s emotional state, recognized that there was more to the situation than the medical results indicated. The patient, who came from a strong Amish background, typically would have been well supported by both family and community during such a time. However, she appeared isolated and apprehensive.
During a time when Becki assisted her to the bathroom, the patient confided that she was in an abusive relationship with her husband and was under a tremendous amount of stress at home. She feared for the safety of her three young children and was terrified to leave them alone with her husband.
Upon hearing this, Becki immediately contacted the leadership team and the patient’s primary medical team. The attending physician came to the bedside and privately spoke with the patient, who shared the full extent of her situation: her children had been taken from her, and her community would only allow her to return if she agreed to live with another family that would take custody of her children. The patient did not want to live with another family for the sake of monitoring and feared she would lose custody of her children if she refused.
Before the patient was discharged, Becki provided her with resources for an Amish support group and gave her personal contact information in case she needed assistance leaving the community or in case of an emergency.
After being discharged, the patient left the Amish community and found a safe place to live. Although she had to leave her children behind temporarily to avoid placing them in harm’s way, she knew this was a necessary step. The community took custody of her children, only allowing her to see them two days a week.
Since leaving the community, the patient no longer experienced seizure-like episodes. She began focusing on her mental and physical health to prove to the justice system that she was a fit mother and to regain full custody of her children. Today, the patient has earned her CNA license through the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and is on the verge of being granted full custody of her three children.
During the few days Becki cared for this patient, she did not simply perform her duties as a nurse; she made her patient feel seen, heard, and valued. Becki empowered this woman to break free from the cycle of abuse and provided her with the courage to leave an oppressive environment for the sake of her own well-being and the well-being of her children.
This is just one of the many instances where Becki has shown unwavering dedication to her patients. She approaches each day with a heartfelt commitment to making a difference in the lives of those under her care. Her hard work, compassionate care, and ability to see the whole person exemplify what it means to be an outstanding nurse.
Throughout my years of working alongside Becki, she has demonstrated a deep and genuine empathy for her patients. One particular instance stands out as a testament to her exceptional care.
A patient was admitted to the Neuroscience Critical Care Unit with seizure-like activity. This patient had visited two other hospitals before coming to Hershey Medical Center, where neither facility could determine the cause of her seizures. Both hospitals dismissed her seizures as non-epileptic, which the patient was told meant they weren’t real.
When she arrived at Hershey Medical Center, a continuous electroencephalogram (EEG) was ordered to look for seizures. As Becki cared for the patient over several days, she noticed a significant shift in the patient’s demeanor after the EEG results came back negative. Despite being told there was no clear medical explanation for her seizures, the patient remained visibly upset and worried, a reaction that went beyond the typical feelings of frustration or defeat.
Becki, sensitive to her patient’s emotional state, recognized that there was more to the situation than the medical results indicated. The patient, who came from a strong Amish background, typically would have been well supported by both family and community during such a time. However, she appeared isolated and apprehensive.
During a time when Becki assisted her to the bathroom, the patient confided that she was in an abusive relationship with her husband and was under a tremendous amount of stress at home. She feared for the safety of her three young children and was terrified to leave them alone with her husband.
Upon hearing this, Becki immediately contacted the leadership team and the patient’s primary medical team. The attending physician came to the bedside and privately spoke with the patient, who shared the full extent of her situation: her children had been taken from her, and her community would only allow her to return if she agreed to live with another family that would take custody of her children. The patient did not want to live with another family for the sake of monitoring and feared she would lose custody of her children if she refused.
Before the patient was discharged, Becki provided her with resources for an Amish support group and gave her personal contact information in case she needed assistance leaving the community or in case of an emergency.
After being discharged, the patient left the Amish community and found a safe place to live. Although she had to leave her children behind temporarily to avoid placing them in harm’s way, she knew this was a necessary step. The community took custody of her children, only allowing her to see them two days a week.
Since leaving the community, the patient no longer experienced seizure-like episodes. She began focusing on her mental and physical health to prove to the justice system that she was a fit mother and to regain full custody of her children. Today, the patient has earned her CNA license through the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and is on the verge of being granted full custody of her three children.
During the few days Becki cared for this patient, she did not simply perform her duties as a nurse; she made her patient feel seen, heard, and valued. Becki empowered this woman to break free from the cycle of abuse and provided her with the courage to leave an oppressive environment for the sake of her own well-being and the well-being of her children.
This is just one of the many instances where Becki has shown unwavering dedication to her patients. She approaches each day with a heartfelt commitment to making a difference in the lives of those under her care. Her hard work, compassionate care, and ability to see the whole person exemplify what it means to be an outstanding nurse.