My son is a patient on the orthopedic unit and he is 25 years old with Autism. We had the Special Needs Ambassador Program (SNAP) people come to visit with us but no one came close to treating him with as much respect and dignity as Ashley did. Ashley treated my son just as she would have treated any other 25-year-old. If she recognized that he did not understand what she was asking, she would rephrase it in such a way that he did understand. Ashley anticipated when he would or might be having pain and relieved my biggest fears about him being in pain.
Ashley not only cared for my son but also my husband and myself. She made sure we took time away to eat and this was so much easier knowing she was watching over him. Ashley is very knowledgeable, answered all of our questions and if an issue arose, she called the doctor promptly to resolve it.
As a nurse of 39 years myself, it makes me so proud to see such a young nurse go above and beyond, especially in a situation with someone with special needs. That is not always easy for many people to do. Her compassion and caring make her an outstanding nurse. She makes me proud to be a nurse!
Note: This is Ashley's 2nd DAISY Award!