My daughter was admitted to the PICU with bilateral PEs. Later that day, it was evident she required intervention. During the explanation of the procedure, my daughter became visibly anxious, and her nurse, Emily, offered to go into the procedure with her. As a parent, I felt comforted knowing someone she trusted was with her. Afterwards, she told me it was Emily who noticed she was in need of more sedation and made sure she received it before the physicians continued.
My daughter was readmitted months later for emergency surgery to remove a massive PE. By chance, she saw Emily in the hall one day, and after her shift, she came to visit. Emily visited her several times that week, even though she was never her nurse.
The care and understanding my daughter received as Emily's patient was outstanding. I know she will never forget how Emily stepped in and made sure she was comfortable during that procedure. The visits from Emily during the second admission will never be forgotten by me. Following surgery, my daughter was quite downhearted, and those visits cheered her up. By giving of her own time at the end of a long shift, Emily showed how much she cared and that truly made a difference.