April 2020
Tessa
Drinkard
,
RN
IMC
MountainView Regional Medical Center
Las Cruces
,
NM
United States
My husband was suffering from severe abdominal cramping and admitted via ambulance to Mt. View Regional Medical Center. That evening he underwent surgery in which he coded twice. The prospects for his survival were not good. But the doctor and his team, along with the amazing nurses in the ICU, kept my husband alive.
Subsequently, my husband had two more surgeries and remained in ICU for another two weeks. When he was well enough to be transferred to Intermediate Care, he was much more vocal about how the pain he was in, how uncomfortable the hospital bed was, and how hard it was for him to sleep. He was also desperate to be discharged even though he was not well enough. In this context, Tessa became his nurse for three shifts. Tessa was extremely patient, kind, accommodating, and listened to my husband's concerns. Tessa did all the things nurses did, but she was more than efficient. She treated him as a whole person, not a scientific specimen. She also communicated concerns and suggestions with the doctor and the other medical staff. When Tessa was "off" the schedule, we had other very able nurses, but we were overjoyed when she was back on shift and took over his care again.
Recognizing how uncomfortable he was in the hospital bed he had been in for 20+ days, Tessa took the initiative to order a special bed that provided much relief. Tessa also gave me the best instruction of anyone at the hospital in terms of how to care for and replace the medical device my husband will be using for the next 3-6 months.
I can't emphasize enough how tremendously thoughtful, respectful, and caring Tessa was. She took the time to answer all our questions and established a rapport with him that ultimately, I believe, helped his recovery. If we didn't know better, we could have assumed that he was her only patient - that's how focused and attentive Tessa was.
Finally, I want to emphasize that ALL the nurses we encountered at Mt. View were excellent, but Tessa stands out as the person who not only showed great nursing skill, but also deep compassion and genuine consideration for him and his entire family. Tessa was extraordinary. We will never be able to thank her enough for all she did to promote my husband's recovery.
Subsequently, my husband had two more surgeries and remained in ICU for another two weeks. When he was well enough to be transferred to Intermediate Care, he was much more vocal about how the pain he was in, how uncomfortable the hospital bed was, and how hard it was for him to sleep. He was also desperate to be discharged even though he was not well enough. In this context, Tessa became his nurse for three shifts. Tessa was extremely patient, kind, accommodating, and listened to my husband's concerns. Tessa did all the things nurses did, but she was more than efficient. She treated him as a whole person, not a scientific specimen. She also communicated concerns and suggestions with the doctor and the other medical staff. When Tessa was "off" the schedule, we had other very able nurses, but we were overjoyed when she was back on shift and took over his care again.
Recognizing how uncomfortable he was in the hospital bed he had been in for 20+ days, Tessa took the initiative to order a special bed that provided much relief. Tessa also gave me the best instruction of anyone at the hospital in terms of how to care for and replace the medical device my husband will be using for the next 3-6 months.
I can't emphasize enough how tremendously thoughtful, respectful, and caring Tessa was. She took the time to answer all our questions and established a rapport with him that ultimately, I believe, helped his recovery. If we didn't know better, we could have assumed that he was her only patient - that's how focused and attentive Tessa was.
Finally, I want to emphasize that ALL the nurses we encountered at Mt. View were excellent, but Tessa stands out as the person who not only showed great nursing skill, but also deep compassion and genuine consideration for him and his entire family. Tessa was extraordinary. We will never be able to thank her enough for all she did to promote my husband's recovery.