My wife was pregnant with triplets and ended up being admitted to the hospital after showing signs of Preeclampsia. She was admitted a week and a half prior to what her scheduled C-Section date was supposed to be, and the nerves for her (and I) were high as we were waiting to find out every day if that would be the day that the doctors decided it was time to deliver our three sons.
Amber and E were two of many nurses during our stay (which ended up being a week in total) but their care was exemplary and I can't say enough for what they did for the both of us.
Amber was my wife's main nurse a couple of days and was there as my wife was very stressed and nervous about the upcoming C-Section. Her and my wife developed a very strong bond and my wife trusted her immediately. When the doctor came in one night and let us know that they were going to be delivering the babies in less than two hours, my wife was very nervous. She started crying right away and I tried to console her and assure her that everything was going to be alright.
Amber was in the room and she was also talking to T, my wife, and T asked, in between tears, if it meant that Amber wasn't going to be there for the C-Section since it was scheduled for 9 pm and Amber's shift was scheduled to end at 7. Amber explained that yes, unfortunately, her shift was over. She then said that she could ask if she could stay longer to be there for my wife in the Operating Room if T felt she needed that and my wife said that yes, that would make her feel so much better. Without flinching (on a Saturday night no less) Amber said that she would do that and come back during the C Section to be there as a comfort for my wife and me.
I'm sure that hospitals would prefer to not give out Overtime Pay if at all possible, so I want to thank those in charge that night for allowing Amber to leave and then come back for the C Section. It helped my wife more than anyone can possibly know to have her there as someone she had a bond with and trusted. The fact that Amber asked if that is something that she wanted and did so without hesitation is just amazing and above and beyond what I would ever expect.
The next day, after the birth of our sons, my wife had some complications and lost a lot of blood. Her blood pressure and heart rate dropped dangerously low and it was very scary for both my wife and I. A Rapid Response was called to her room and roughly 15 people were crammed into her room. There were so many thoughts that were going through my mind as I saw my wife struggle and then ultimately rushed down to the ICU.
Throughout that entire ordeal, E was there to help me. She was obviously helping my wife (and did an outstanding job of reading cues to call the doctor right away when she noticed that something was not "normal" with what my wife was going through) but she was also awesome in explaining everything to me as well to help try and keep my fears calmed. She explained every step and what was happening and what it meant. She explained that a Rapid Response was called and that quite a few people were going to be coming into the room and what that meant. She explained the blood loss, why it was happening, and what they were doing to try and stop it. It helped me keep calmer than I normally would have, which helped me be there for my wife when she needed me the most.
E even came down to check in on her a few times throughout the night as she was transferred to the ICU and ultimately everything worked out well for my wife. Many nurses wouldn't take the time to explain what was going on to the spouse because they were busy (and rightfully so at times). However, the fact that she took the time to explain to me what was going on so I could help my wife is something that I will never forget about our story and is something that I appreciate more than I could ever relay to her.
In conclusion - both Amber and E will forever be a part of the story that we tell about the craziest 24-hour period of both of our lives and they each helped in their own way. I have never gone out of my way to write an email like this or nominate someone for an award, but this is the very least of what I could do after how much they helped the both of us.