Samantha Bigam
August 2021
Samantha
Bigam
,
BSN, RN
Labor and Delivery
Sentara Norfolk General Hospital
Norfolk
,
VA
United States
Sam collected as many legacy items as possible, placed them in a personalized memory box.
Samantha Bigam is an experienced registered nurse who works in labor and delivery. Although it can be stressful at times, labor and delivery is usually a place where tiny miracles are born every day. Unfortunately, not all patients come to L&D to deliver a baby they will bring home. Last week, we had a patient whose baby had a congenital anomaly. There were several variables as to the possible outcome for the baby. The patient was well prepared and came in with a birth plan. Sam was this patient’s nurse. She was also orienting a new nurse to L&D.
Words cannot express the authentic and compassionate patient care I witnessed in Sam. She was a true advocate for her patient. She was empathetic to the emotional needs of her patient and her patient’s husband. She was an amazing role model for the nurse she was orienting. As a labor and delivery nurse, if a baby’s heart rate shows signs of distress, the nurse provides the necessary interventions to bring the baby’s heart rate back up. However, in this particular case, she could not do that. The baby’s heart rate slowly went down just before delivery. She provided a sacred space for this patient and her patient’s husband as they said goodbye to their baby. Afterward, Sam collected as many legacy items as possible, placed them in a personalized memory box with the baby’s name, and presented them to the family. The priceless items thoughtfully paced in that box will be a connection to their baby that they will treasure forever.
Words cannot express the authentic and compassionate patient care I witnessed in Sam. She was a true advocate for her patient. She was empathetic to the emotional needs of her patient and her patient’s husband. She was an amazing role model for the nurse she was orienting. As a labor and delivery nurse, if a baby’s heart rate shows signs of distress, the nurse provides the necessary interventions to bring the baby’s heart rate back up. However, in this particular case, she could not do that. The baby’s heart rate slowly went down just before delivery. She provided a sacred space for this patient and her patient’s husband as they said goodbye to their baby. Afterward, Sam collected as many legacy items as possible, placed them in a personalized memory box with the baby’s name, and presented them to the family. The priceless items thoughtfully paced in that box will be a connection to their baby that they will treasure forever.