As an OB nurse, I have filled out thousands of crib cards. I do give it thought knowing that it will go in a book or box of mementos that the family will keep forever and that the child will eventually peruse and read it themselves. I've never given it as much thought as when I saw my sister-in-law and brother's name on my new niece's card.
You see, my brother, K, was the flight nurse who was killed in the Spirit 2 helicopter crash. K would have been so over-the-top and incredibly proud of his new baby girl, and you would have seen visitors from all over the state of Michigan and Wisconsin while his family was in your care. As it was, L and A were barraged with all of his sisters, brothers-in-law, and cousins before we attended the memorial service.
Upon L's arrival to your unit, Jessica was aware of our family's situation. She kindly and sensitively reached out to L to try to meet her where she was at in the mix of grieving and happiness. It was such an awkward situation to be in as an outsider, and Jessica made sure that L was going to get what she needed.
As the sister-in-law, my heartbreaking new job was to be the protector in my brother's absence. Through the years, I have become astutely aware of competence and authentic human behavior in nurses I've worked with or by which I've been helped. I was able to breathe a sigh of relief because I felt that Jessica had it together and would have given L the quality care she needed even if I hadn't been there. She was genuine in her compassion and thoughtfulness at a time when I was set to protect L and A at every exhaustive cost. I followed L's lead for what she wanted and coached her through the most beautiful labor I have ever witnessed. Jessica gave us space, but checked in for needed adjustments to the EFM, pain meds and assessments, and had everything ready for the baby without 100 unnecessary or excessive trips into the room to disturb the mood L needed. When A decided to descend and decel close to her arrival, Jessica was there to help me flip L on her side, then back to the other to make A "prettier on paper". She was born very soon afterward to a room that was full of emotion that bounced from one end of the spectrum to the other. I wanted to fall apart. I wanted to hold it together. I wanted to do the happy new auntie dance. But mostly, I wanted my brother there to see how amazing L was and to hold his new baby princess.
Something as simple as kindness, compassion, and a crib card that had K's name on it too mattered. The fact that Jessica helped get L and A discharged so she could attend the memorial service in person mattered. Jessica finished her shift close to 7 am, I am guessing, but was still there at 9:30 when we rushed out the door. That mattered, too.
Jessica, thank you for being the nurse we all needed that night, and I'm quite certain many other patients have needed as well. You will never be forgotten.