Teresa was nominated by the mother of a patient who was pregnant with twins. The patient's membrane protruded at 20 weeks causing her to spend two weeks in the hospital where she lost both her babies one week apart, and almost lost her own life in the process. The patient's mother said that Teresa was always loving, nurturing, and answered all their millions of questions with extreme knowledge and empathy. Teresa cried with them at the loss of each twin. She gave them hugs and comfort and offered counseling. Teresa truly listened to everything the family had to say and really, truly cared.
When the patient was on complete bedrest, she mentioned that she would love to have her hair washed and Teresa made it happen. Teresa also went out of her way to find a device that could circulate warm water to make the patient more comfortable.
At one point, the patient became septic with an infection and ran a 105-degree fever. Teresa brought a sense of calm and knowledge to the situation. The patient's mother said the family felt "at home" with Teresa there. "We are so very thankful for this amazing lady that we were blessed to have at this most difficult time in our lives," the patient's mother said. "I don't know what we would have done without her."
Teresa's clinical managers say that they are blessed to have her on their unit. Teresa is their grief coordinator and works very closely with the families who have experienced a fetal loss. Teresa is a great teacher and is a wealth of knowledge for the newer nurses on the unit. She is a patient advocate and is passionate about providing the best care to all her patients.
Because of Teresa's compassionate and caring efforts, her patients experience a level of care that exemplifies the impact nurses have in creating an environment where patients and families feel at home.