In our numerous visits to CHOP, we have had no shortage of excellent nurses, but few can compare to Sarah Gonzalez. Our son, T, recently received a heart transplant, and Sarah took care of him for four consecutive days in the ICU. She constantly demonstrated her knowledge, compassion, and superb nursing skills while caring for T. Here are some examples.
Sarah was exceptional at keeping us up to date and communicating all changes to us. Even though medications are frequently started or stopped in the ICU, she always sought us out to make sure we understood what she was administering, and why T needed that treatment. She was also great at promptly bringing any of our concerns to his medical team, and ensured that all of our questions were answered.
In addition, Sarah showed her compassion by always striving to make T (and us!) as comfortable and happy as possible. While T was on the ventilator, he was extremely uncomfortable and irritated. Sarah was constantly soothing him, and always re-adjusted his tubes as he moved around to keep himself comfortable. She also proactively worked with his team to ensure that we were properly managing T's pain. I could write plenty more but suffice it to say that T couldn't possibly have received better care than what Sarah gave him. T has had five heart surgeries, including one each at Children's Hospital Colorado and Boston Children's, and Sarah's care stands out amongst them all.