Stephanie Neifert
March 2018
Stephanie
Neifert
,
ADN, RN
Wilmington Emergency Department
Christiana Care Health System
Newark
,
DE
United States
I would like to extend our thanks to Stephanie Niefert for the extraordinary care she gave our daughter.
Our daughter has had Type I (insulin-dependent) diabetes for nearly 25 years. Unfortunately, we've had many trips to various ERs for DKA which are typically unpleasant and frustrating. There are differences between Type I and Type II diabetes and the subtle variations of treatment required. A good nurse with knowledge of the disease can have a positive impact on the amount of time it takes a patient to recover. It can actually make a difference between hours in the ER vs days in the hospital.
We were truly blessed to have Stephanie as attending nurse for 2 consecutive days on the afternoon shift. She was knowledgeable and compassionate and thoroughly understood the urgency of a low blood sugar and how to treat it. She understood the need to monitor blood glucose following a low and was not irritated by my doing so.
When questions of treatment arose she was proactive in contacting the attending physician to seek advice.
Stephanie consistently and promptly communicated all new and pertinent information regarding doctor orders, test results, etc. without my needing to ask. She understands that it is difficult sitting in a dark ER cubicle for hours wondering what is happening and why. We greatly appreciated her frequent checks and updates. She rarely passed the "room" without at least a glance to check on us. No matter how busy she was, Stephanie consistently (and cheerfully) responded to all needs. Her positive attitude is exemplary. (We later learned that Stephanie had her car stolen from the lot the day we were there (a situation that is disturbing and distracting) yet you would have never known it by Stephanie's words, actions or attention. She was on the job 100%. Commendable!
While our daughter's trip to the ER this time was due to her own negligence in caring for her diabetes, the kind reassurance and encouragement she received from Stephanie was of great significance. She was not judged, she was treated with dignity and left the hospital with a different outlook on herself and her diabetes. Since the hospital stay our daughter has decided to wear a continuous glucose monitor and has lowered her HA1c from a 14 to 6.8 She has changed her eating habits and has turned her life around. Stephanie helped her see beyond all the negatives of diabetes and see what is possible. Her positive influence and brief but kind interactions had more impact than she could possibly know.
Our daughter has had Type I (insulin-dependent) diabetes for nearly 25 years. Unfortunately, we've had many trips to various ERs for DKA which are typically unpleasant and frustrating. There are differences between Type I and Type II diabetes and the subtle variations of treatment required. A good nurse with knowledge of the disease can have a positive impact on the amount of time it takes a patient to recover. It can actually make a difference between hours in the ER vs days in the hospital.
We were truly blessed to have Stephanie as attending nurse for 2 consecutive days on the afternoon shift. She was knowledgeable and compassionate and thoroughly understood the urgency of a low blood sugar and how to treat it. She understood the need to monitor blood glucose following a low and was not irritated by my doing so.
When questions of treatment arose she was proactive in contacting the attending physician to seek advice.
Stephanie consistently and promptly communicated all new and pertinent information regarding doctor orders, test results, etc. without my needing to ask. She understands that it is difficult sitting in a dark ER cubicle for hours wondering what is happening and why. We greatly appreciated her frequent checks and updates. She rarely passed the "room" without at least a glance to check on us. No matter how busy she was, Stephanie consistently (and cheerfully) responded to all needs. Her positive attitude is exemplary. (We later learned that Stephanie had her car stolen from the lot the day we were there (a situation that is disturbing and distracting) yet you would have never known it by Stephanie's words, actions or attention. She was on the job 100%. Commendable!
While our daughter's trip to the ER this time was due to her own negligence in caring for her diabetes, the kind reassurance and encouragement she received from Stephanie was of great significance. She was not judged, she was treated with dignity and left the hospital with a different outlook on herself and her diabetes. Since the hospital stay our daughter has decided to wear a continuous glucose monitor and has lowered her HA1c from a 14 to 6.8 She has changed her eating habits and has turned her life around. Stephanie helped her see beyond all the negatives of diabetes and see what is possible. Her positive influence and brief but kind interactions had more impact than she could possibly know.