On Wednesday Mom was admitted to unit 571 with pyelonephritis and a kidney stone. She had the same experience two and a half years ago, and a similar experience 10 years prior. One thing made a significant difference this time – the care she received from Amber Petro, RN. She was very sick when she was admitted, and was not able to give a full or accurate list of the medications she is taking. As much as I try to keep track of mom’s medications, her dosages and prescriptions change frequently. I had asked her to bring a list of her current medications with her to the ER, but when we arrived at the hospital, she turned to me and said, “Oh, no, I forgot the list!”

As her fever was reduced and her pain controlled, she once again became the intelligent and attentive person she usually is. Amber was not my mom’s nurse the first day of her hospitalization. When she received my mom as her patient on Friday, she sat down to go through the medication list with her. Mom knew something was not right about her medications. Amber listened to my mom and took her seriously.

Because of Amber’s critical thinking and careful attention to medication safety, my mom experienced only a brief disruption in receiving the correct medications. She went home on Saturday, and her recovery has been much smoother than in the past. Amber was also unfailingly kind, gentle and professional with my mom and with me.

Amber Petro is an excellent representative of the values exemplified by the DAISY Award.