I would like to thank my nurse and share my story of why this nurse is so special:
Being admitted into the hospital after COVID had created further damage to symptoms that I had many months prior, there were a lot of unknowns. I had just started my last semester of college. I was admitted the week before student teaching. I was anxious as to where things would end up with my health. Then what I feared most happened - I needed a feeding tube placed since I was no longer able to eat. The NJ tube was placed later at night. Taylor was my nurse and she ended up coming back and was my day nurse again. Amidst all my anxieties trying to get used to this new thing hanging from my nose and going down my throat, Taylor was able to see deeper, past the shield of bravery and positivity that I tried to keep up. She comforted my mom and me with answers to any questions we had about feeding tubes as they were so new to us. She also was observant and noticed my Rosary was still sitting out next to me on the side table. She offered to arrange a chaplain to come up and talk, considering everything had happened so fast. Taylor also advocated greatly for me to get the nutrition started via the tube. The tube had been placed but was not being used yet, and even though it was a weekend, Taylor communicated with doctors to start the feedings. Once we did begin feeds, things were not going well, and I was still getting quite sick and vomiting. Taylor sat by my side and comforted me and listened to me when I said that something wasn't right with the tube. She again advocated for me and immediately contacted a Rapid Response RN to come and look at things. Come to find out, my tube was coiled and turned back up into my stomach, and that was making me sick. Taylor, together with this nurse, pulled my tube and fixed it, ultimately making me able to tolerate the feedings. Overall, Taylor made the time to make us feel truly heard, and to make us feel seen. She was observant of the deeper things not seen on the surface. Taylor also was comforting and was not afraid to make sure that I was getting the help that I needed. She was even thoughtful enough to go out of her way to come back to say goodbye and good luck to me the day I was leaving, even though she wasn't my assigned nurse that day. I'm very appreciative of Taylor's care for me. She deserves recognition! You have a valuable nurse, Mercy Health!