In the week leading up to Mother's Day weekend Bonnie Hibbs had 4 different patients and their families who experienced losses. One she saw in the outpatient surgery setting, one lost their baby after delivery and two were in-utero fetal losses delivering in Labor and Delivery. Bonnie was there in person with every one of those families including coming in on Saturday to be with a family whose baby delivered that morning. Not only did she assist the families with emotional and physical care, but provided a great resource to the staff to ensure that documentation and sometimes confusing paperwork got completed seamlessly so the nurses could focus their energies on the patients.
After this high volume week occurred, we then had a patient that arrived on Saturday night whose water was broken at only 17 weeks. Through the night, the patient and her husband struggled to accept the reality that their pregnancy was ending and they would probably be delivering in the next day. The staff did not expect Bonnie would be there on Mother's Day but she was. Bonnie came in the morning and met the patient and her husband. She worked with the nurse to ensure all the patient's needs were met. She stayed throughout the day and was present for the delivery, despite knowing that her own family was waiting at home to be with her.
Bonnie's recognition of the preciousness and holiness of the moment that she was sharing with this patient and her husband will not be forgotten by them for many Mother's Days to come. This was truly above and beyond her job description and appreciated immensely by the family and nurses' lives that she touched that day.
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I was terrified to enter the room, terrified to say the wrong thing. I remember Bonnie stepping toward the patient's closed door, take a deep breath to center herself and walk in. I was amazed at watching how gentle she was with the patient, assisting with her grief. When we left, I asked how she handles herself with such calm grace and she told me she always took a moment before walking into a room, to take a deep breath and to remember we are walking on holy ground. Those words have stayed with me, months later.
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We are frequently surrounded by the celebration of new life, but too often, we must work with mothers who will never bring their baby home. Bonnie is our guiding light, the nurse we call when we, as nurses, need her loving support. Bonnie voluntarily gives of her services, hours and emotionally reserved to support patients, families & nurses through times of grief. So many times, I have seen Bonnie come in on weekends and nights to hold the hand of a grieving mother, to talk a father through decisions that need to be made. Bonnie is a solid, emotional support, keeping these families grounded and supporting them through their grief. And when these sweet, still babies come in to the world, her gentle hands are there to pass them into the waiting arms of their patients. Bonnie simply brings out the beauty in misfortune. Time after time, I hear patients say that they never could have survived the experience if not for Bonnies' care. As I grow through my career, I hope that I can be half the nurse she is. There is no one more deserving of a DAISY Award, because there is simply no other who gives of themselves as Bonnie does.
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A few weeks ago we had a patient experience a fetal death and wanted the baby to be buried in TN. It was after hours on a Friday but Bonnie was persistent in searching for the needed KY state paperwork and procedures to legally transport a deceased baby across state lines. Without her endless calls and research that continued through the weekend and into the next week, this family would not have had their final wishes for their child realized.
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Bonnie is wonderful and truly a gift to our unit and patients. Bonnie goes above and beyond to help the patients in most need of someone with their compassion and care. Bonnie is a huge asset to our nursing staff as well, being that they walk us through taking care of patient who has had a loss with the utmost attention to detail so that we can learn from her expertise. I took care of a patient with Bonnie that ended up being a rather complicated case and Bonnie helped me with the paperwork and speaking with the necessary people. She devotes time to the cause that they care for and it shows. No one is more deserving of a DAISY Award than Bonnie!
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Just last week Bonnie was my angel. We were extremely busy in L& D and Bonnie was finished with an IUFD discharge and was on her way to get lunch. I had just received a message from the Antepartum Department for assistance with obtaining blood from the blood bank, as well as going to witness the administration. I asked Bonnie if she had time to help get this taken care of and she didn't hesitate. This meant she had to go retrieve the blood product request form from Antepartum, walk back to the blood bank, then take the blood back over to Antepartum again, all this, when she wanted to go eat her lunch. Bonnie was truly our savior in this scenario. We appreciate their flexibility and willingness to help.
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Bonnie has been such an inspiration to our unit and patients with fetal loss. Bonnie had to learn what her patients needed without a preceptor in this area and took full responsibility to teach them about taking care of these families who have been given devastating and life changing news. Bonnie has come in on weekends, holidays, and night shift to help the nurses and patients during these difficult times. She goes above and beyond every time we have a patient who has had a loss. Words cannot even describe how Bonnie has helped everyone in L&D.
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Bonnie is so wonderful with our patients, always has just the right thing to say at just the right time and does an amazing job assisting patients through their grief process. Bonnie is truly a blessing and asset to the department.
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Bonnie is excellent in her role - comforting to patients, comes in on off days and weekends to help nursing staff and provide patients with support and help them through the grief process. I had the opportunity to work with her on Mother's Day when she came in to help and spent the majority of her day helping others. I am truly impressed with Bonnie.
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I'm so thankful we have Bonnie as a resource on our unit. Bonnie has gone above to give us the resources to make caring for these patients a better experience for the staff and the patients. Bonnie has organized this process in a way that cuts a lot of confusion out of the paperwork and allows for better care of our patients. Caring for someone who is experiencing fetal loss is an intimidating thing for me and many others, but her presence in this process is a reassuring and comforting one. Bonnie has a huge heart and spends countless hours caring for these patients, and I hope that Bonnie knows it doesn't go unnoticed. We are so blessed and spoiled to have Bonnie here!