Deanna Harris
April 2016
Deanna
Harris
,
RN
Imaging Services
WakeMed Health & Hospitals
Raleigh
,
NC
United States
I was admitted after coming to the emergency room with severe hip pain. It was exactly one week after I delivered my sweet baby boy. Naturally, I was still an emotional mess; a new mom, figuring stuff out, sleep deprived, etc. I was extremely anxious about having to be admitted for what turned out to be a septic hip and being away from my son and husband. What was my husband going to do without me?
The night I was admitted, I needed to have fluid from my hip aspirated in radiology. Deanna was one of the staff that got called in overnight to perform my procedure. I have never felt such extreme pain before, even just having been through labor. As a fellow nurse, not wanting to be a burden, I looked at her and apologized she had to come in on call. She said, "oh no, I don't mind!" and smiled. She talked me through the procedure and demonstrated such empathy towards me and my situation. She explained what they did and showed me what they removed, assuring me that it really needed to be done.
The next morning, I learned that I would need to go for surgery on my hip that day to wash out what was left. Just as I was trying to process everything, scared about not being with my new baby, Deanna popped in to check on me and give me a hug/check to see how the baby and my husband were doing. She had come in for her regular shift at 7A after having to come in on call the previous night for me. It made me feel so good to see her and brought me instant comfort.
I was in the process of asking the ED staff if they could help me get a breast pump, but it was so busy there that morning. Deanna insisted that she go get it herself or find someone who could. She had one of her department's team members go get me one from 4C while she stayed with me, and it was seriously there in 5 minutes.
Deanna, thank you SO MUCH. I stayed for a week after surgery and had the best experience by all staff, but your compassion and advocacy were what I remember most. It's that small thing that someone can do to make your experience the greatest. You might not even think you did much of anything, but you really did! You exemplify our CARES model, and I bet you didn't even try because that is just who you are.
The night I was admitted, I needed to have fluid from my hip aspirated in radiology. Deanna was one of the staff that got called in overnight to perform my procedure. I have never felt such extreme pain before, even just having been through labor. As a fellow nurse, not wanting to be a burden, I looked at her and apologized she had to come in on call. She said, "oh no, I don't mind!" and smiled. She talked me through the procedure and demonstrated such empathy towards me and my situation. She explained what they did and showed me what they removed, assuring me that it really needed to be done.
The next morning, I learned that I would need to go for surgery on my hip that day to wash out what was left. Just as I was trying to process everything, scared about not being with my new baby, Deanna popped in to check on me and give me a hug/check to see how the baby and my husband were doing. She had come in for her regular shift at 7A after having to come in on call the previous night for me. It made me feel so good to see her and brought me instant comfort.
I was in the process of asking the ED staff if they could help me get a breast pump, but it was so busy there that morning. Deanna insisted that she go get it herself or find someone who could. She had one of her department's team members go get me one from 4C while she stayed with me, and it was seriously there in 5 minutes.
Deanna, thank you SO MUCH. I stayed for a week after surgery and had the best experience by all staff, but your compassion and advocacy were what I remember most. It's that small thing that someone can do to make your experience the greatest. You might not even think you did much of anything, but you really did! You exemplify our CARES model, and I bet you didn't even try because that is just who you are.