Nina Farnsworth has helped me through a very difficult situation as a patient. My examples are endless, as she is one of the most selfless, empathetic, caring nurses I've encountered throughout not only in my entirety as a patient but also as a 12-year practicing nurse myself; she is a nurse I aspire to be like.
I was seen in your office for a high-risk pregnancy that concluded in a C-section this year. Throughout the duration of that pregnancy, Nina was one of the nurses I could count on to relieve my numerous concerns and worry. She was the one who was spending time week after week to make every attempt she could to get my stubborn little man to cooperate with the non-stress tests so we didn't have to go to Unity, and shared in our frustrations when those attempts weren't successful. Some of the positions she held for what must have felt like hours to try to obtain a consistent reading looked so uncomfortable, but you'd never know it, as she had her trademark smile and kind words.
After we had our baby, Nina was one that I was hopeful to see for our follow up visit, and she came right over to see him and gush over him in the office. She made sure to remind him how stubborn he was and remind him just how adorable he was. I regret not getting a picture of him with her, which leads me to the most important part of why Nina will always have a special place in my heart, and why I'll never be able to say enough positive things about her.
My son passed away two months later suddenly and unexpectedly. I'll never forget the shock when I saw that Nina has messaged me personally and was asking what she could do, and how she could help. Nina, was there for me, around the clock addressing concerns, answering questions, being a rock that I would've never imagined someone like that, that I knew only from my appointments could be, as I know we all have personal lives. Nina was constantly messaging me to make sure I was ok, she was checking on my older surviving children and my boyfriend to ensure they were ok as well. She pointed me in directions when I asked questions, and she empowered me with confidence and belief that I could go on, that I didn't believe that I possessed.
Nina was the one that assured me over and over again that although my concerns and fears were valid, that their testing to rule out causation and obtain a SIDS diagnosis was all standard. She was the one I turned to when I didn't understand something or my grief was too much to bear, which during those first few days, I don't know how I would've managed without her. She let me release my feelings, and answered my questions; most importantly she knew when to respond, and when to let me vent. Nina is the reason I was able to return to nursing, as I was questioning hanging up my nursing career, as I was unsure if I could continue practicing when "I couldn't save my son, how can I save other people?"
I apologized consistently and frequently for "bothering her" and "wasting her time" especially when I knew she wasn't "on the clock" but she refused to hear any of that, she made it clear to me that she is a nurse whether or not she is receiving a paycheck. I later learned that while she was extending herself to me and my family, she was dealing with the heartache of her own due to her house burning down, I never knew that she was dealing with her own personal struggles and family strife, as she was too focused on me and mine.
In the distant past, I remember being on an exam table and seeing a bubbly, friendly blonde haired nurse walk into the room, and introduce herself as Nina, and explain that she was going to be doing the NST that day. Never did it cross my mind that she would've become so valuable to me, and would be someone that stands out so loudly in my mind as solace during the absolute worst time of my life as we shared stories about nursing, jokes, and light conversations to pass our time we shared throughout my care.
I cherish what she has given me and my family, and I have no doubt she has so strongly impacted other families as well. She is without a doubt, one of a kind in the nursing field.