Whitney Carter
January 2021
Whitney
Carter
,
RN
Cardiovascular ICU
Baptist Memorial Hospital - Memphis
Memphis
,
TN
United States
As Whitney finished her shift that day, she offered her condolences and embraced us. She had become an extension of our family that day.
As a nurse myself it was very difficult to step back and play the role of a family member, but this is exactly what I had to do, and it could not have been made easier for me to sit back and savor the time I had. You see, my mother had suffered cardiac arrest, and was fighting for her life; she had transferred from another outside facility, finally landing in the arms of an angel at Baptist Memphis. My mother would be at Baptist only about 24 hours before she passed, but the amazing care she was provided will be remembered more than the agony of losing her.
When she arrived, the nurse quickly got her settled into the room. My brother and I had just driven in from out of town, so the nurse allowed us to see her and answered all of our questions with great poise. We allowed the staff to tend to our mother while returning in the morning, grateful to see a familiar face. She allowed us to sit with her all day, never allowing us to believe that we were in her way.
Multiple family members visited throughout the day, and we were always encouraged to be with my mother. This nurse worked so hard that day, doing the typical nurse things, monitoring vital signs, drawing labs, administering medications, all while answering the multitude of questions that would follow with each thing she did. She kept the doctors well informed, was courteous to each family member that stopped by, and had another patient! I was so impressed with this nurse and her ability to manage the assignment. It was also great for my brother to see, so he would have an idea of what our mother was like as she was also an ICU nurse.
My mother had to make a trip to CT scan, and she had a dialysis line placed, outside of these procedures we were with her the entire day. It would be that evening that my mother’s body would lose the fight, as the staff tried to save her life. We were again welcomed to be there for our mother, ultimately I would ask the staff to cease their efforts, and they did so gracefully. This nurse was also key in our grieving process, allowing us plenty of time to be with our mother, we never felt rushed, and we were treated with great respect.
As the nurse finished her shift that day, she offered her condolences and embraced us. She had become an extension of our family that day. My most favorite thing about her was how she called me Ms. T, having moved from the south, I found it so endearing to be referred to so sweetly. She learned my name, so I was not just a room number’s daughter.
Ironically, just a few days later while my brother was out shopping for clothes to wear to the funeral, he ran into this nurse. She stopped and spoke to him, and he thanked her again for all she had done. She introduced him to her mother-in-law, who ironically is also a nurse and had worked with our mother in the past. She had nothing but great things to say about her.
I believe we were blessed to have her as our mother’s nurse that day. We will never forget all that she did to make that time easier for us. You have a true gem in Whitney and an awesome crew!
When she arrived, the nurse quickly got her settled into the room. My brother and I had just driven in from out of town, so the nurse allowed us to see her and answered all of our questions with great poise. We allowed the staff to tend to our mother while returning in the morning, grateful to see a familiar face. She allowed us to sit with her all day, never allowing us to believe that we were in her way.
Multiple family members visited throughout the day, and we were always encouraged to be with my mother. This nurse worked so hard that day, doing the typical nurse things, monitoring vital signs, drawing labs, administering medications, all while answering the multitude of questions that would follow with each thing she did. She kept the doctors well informed, was courteous to each family member that stopped by, and had another patient! I was so impressed with this nurse and her ability to manage the assignment. It was also great for my brother to see, so he would have an idea of what our mother was like as she was also an ICU nurse.
My mother had to make a trip to CT scan, and she had a dialysis line placed, outside of these procedures we were with her the entire day. It would be that evening that my mother’s body would lose the fight, as the staff tried to save her life. We were again welcomed to be there for our mother, ultimately I would ask the staff to cease their efforts, and they did so gracefully. This nurse was also key in our grieving process, allowing us plenty of time to be with our mother, we never felt rushed, and we were treated with great respect.
As the nurse finished her shift that day, she offered her condolences and embraced us. She had become an extension of our family that day. My most favorite thing about her was how she called me Ms. T, having moved from the south, I found it so endearing to be referred to so sweetly. She learned my name, so I was not just a room number’s daughter.
Ironically, just a few days later while my brother was out shopping for clothes to wear to the funeral, he ran into this nurse. She stopped and spoke to him, and he thanked her again for all she had done. She introduced him to her mother-in-law, who ironically is also a nurse and had worked with our mother in the past. She had nothing but great things to say about her.
I believe we were blessed to have her as our mother’s nurse that day. We will never forget all that she did to make that time easier for us. You have a true gem in Whitney and an awesome crew!