Robin went above and beyond typical nursing duties to make our family feel like our son was in the best possible hands. She treated our family as her own. She spoke so sweetly to our baby as she was assessing him as if he was an older child that could understand everything she was saying. As a mother in a very vulnerable situation, that communication between her and my son struck my heart in a way that is hard to explain. Our one-pound newborn baby had been seen by so many physicians and nurses as another patient, but Robin saw him as a person. A tiny individual person who deserved to be treated as one. Robin will always have a special place in my heart, because of that.
Robin talked about all of his medical needs and things that had to be discussed during her shift, but our conversations always went so much further. Robin constantly took time to ask about our family. She told us how cute he is and which of us she thought he looked like. She asked about other two children at home and remembered their names and ages. She is such a genuinely caring person. We built a great relationship with her, by knowing how much she truly cared about him and us. On the days that we knew she had him as a patient, there was such a sense of relief. She noticed almost immediately when he wasn't feeling well and could get ahead of his bad days far better than even we could. Whether his oxygen needed to be adjusted or he needed a blood transfusion, she just knew before anything serious had time to happen, because she cared for him so intently.
After morning rounds Robin would ask if we had any additional questions. She was always happy to answer any of the questions we had. And on the occasions that she didn't have exact answers, she got us into contact with doctors who did. Robin also talked with us in depth about feeding him, which had become a small battle after one of his surgeries. She even taught us how to place his NG tube, and how to check placement before we were discharged.
Our son had an MRI and he had to be taken out of the NICU to perform it. My husband and I were so concerned that he would be stressed out during his test and we were not permitted to go. We were frantically discussing how he would feel and how worried we were when Robin gently explained that she would go with him. And instantly we felt better. We knew that for our son, her presence was the next best thing to being with us. We had no doubt that she would talk to him and calm him as best she could. And she did.
Robin is a great communicator. She always made sure that we felt comfortable with everything that was happening with our son. Whenever a new possibility in his care was discussed by physicians she'd ask if we had any further questions. She broke down his plan of care several times in ways that were easier for us to understand. Anytime we had a concern with his care, Robin made sure that we felt validated in having our issues heard. She was a wonderful advocate for us and our son. We are so grateful for everything she did for our baby.