Stephanie Mitchell
March 2014
Stephanie
Mitchell
,
RN, VA-BC
Resource Team
Sanford Health
Fargo
,
ND
United States
...I am 31 years old. I have been a nurse at Sanford for 10 years on the Resource Team. I unfortunately was hospitalized in September after having a stroke which came as a complete shock to me and my family/friends. I found out that I had a hole in my heart, called a pfo. A couple of weeks after I was discharged from the hospital, I decided to have it closed. It was a simple heart cath procedure that we as healthcare workers don't think twice of; safe and easy usually. I was very apprehensive about this procedure, and was scared to death.
The day came to have it done, as I went into the Day Unit in the early am. As I was wheeled into the cath lab, I was very tense. I had so many thoughts, from nerves about the procedure to the fellow co-workers who were about to see my groin. All modesty is usually out the window every day at work, which is not a big deal... Until it's you on the table! As soon as I was pushed through the door, my hand was grabbed and held so caringly by Kasey Oberg. I know her as Kasey Murphy, we went to the same high school. I graduated with her younger sister. She immediately asked if I was comfortable with her in the room, and I answered honestly YES. As everyone got me ready and on the table, she told me stories of her sister's children and made me laugh hysterically. It was a godsend to have her there as she eliminated my nervousness. I thanked her afterwards, but in my mind she deserves way more.
After I returned to the Day Unit once my procedure was done, I needed to lay flat for 4 hours. My friend and co-worker Stephanie Mitchell came to my bedside. She showed true caring as a nurse while she was next to me. After just having a stroke and coming out of sedation, I didn't have the greatest memory once Dr. W came to my room to check on me. She jumped in and asked him multiple questions that we had already wondered about before he came in. I was glad she was there.
When the time came for the nurses to take out my closure device in my groin, not a single nurse had seen it before. It was a foreign object to everyone because this procedure is very rare for adults, and also probably because Dr. W was fairly new to Sanford. Stephanie stayed by my side and made sure the nurses knew what they were doing. She helped them keep the technique sterile so to keep me safe. I thank her for that.
The day came to have it done, as I went into the Day Unit in the early am. As I was wheeled into the cath lab, I was very tense. I had so many thoughts, from nerves about the procedure to the fellow co-workers who were about to see my groin. All modesty is usually out the window every day at work, which is not a big deal... Until it's you on the table! As soon as I was pushed through the door, my hand was grabbed and held so caringly by Kasey Oberg. I know her as Kasey Murphy, we went to the same high school. I graduated with her younger sister. She immediately asked if I was comfortable with her in the room, and I answered honestly YES. As everyone got me ready and on the table, she told me stories of her sister's children and made me laugh hysterically. It was a godsend to have her there as she eliminated my nervousness. I thanked her afterwards, but in my mind she deserves way more.
After I returned to the Day Unit once my procedure was done, I needed to lay flat for 4 hours. My friend and co-worker Stephanie Mitchell came to my bedside. She showed true caring as a nurse while she was next to me. After just having a stroke and coming out of sedation, I didn't have the greatest memory once Dr. W came to my room to check on me. She jumped in and asked him multiple questions that we had already wondered about before he came in. I was glad she was there.
When the time came for the nurses to take out my closure device in my groin, not a single nurse had seen it before. It was a foreign object to everyone because this procedure is very rare for adults, and also probably because Dr. W was fairly new to Sanford. Stephanie stayed by my side and made sure the nurses knew what they were doing. She helped them keep the technique sterile so to keep me safe. I thank her for that.