My mom came to McLeod with severe acute pancreatitis. On Saturday, we had to have emergency surgery to see if there were additional issues going on as she was becoming septic. We were told due to the severity and emergent need for the surgery that she would come back to the unit intubated and, on the ventilator, to get her through those first few days following the surgery and to keep her pain level under control. During the first week of care, Taylor Curtis became her nurse. For some reason, unknown to me, Taylor bonded well with me and my dad from the very beginning. When visiting with mom, as soon as she saw me in the unit, she stopped what she was doing to come to update me on the night before, plans for that day, etc.
Mom had a friend visit and leave some hot pink nail polish for her as some inside joke between the two of them, and Taylor decided to paint mom's nails one day when she had a few minutes, unbeknownst to both of us, apparently, this was a big no-no. Nonetheless, it was the sweetest gesture to me and touched me so very much. To know as busy as one is in these units, that she took those extra few minutes with my mom to show her that care. Even though Taylor was moved to another unit, she never ceased checking on mom. Whether she saw me in the hall, or a dear friend of mine who works in the ER, she would stop either of us to get that update and to make sure that we were holding up ok.
Mom was on the ventilator for two and a half weeks, highly sedated, and they really could not get her weaned as quickly as they had hoped. The day that mom was to be extubated, Taylor stopped me in the hall for that update. When I told her that hopefully "today is the day", she said, "I will be by when my shift is over." Sure enough, she came over as we were getting ready to extubate mom, and before I knew it, she had jumped in to assist the respiratory therapist and nurse to make sure all necessary items were available when we got the tube out. When it was finally pulled, Taylor and I hugged like she was a part of the family. Her compassion during the care of my mom, cannot be topped in my opinion. She not only exhibited that her true calling as a nurse shined bright but also our values as an organization. An organization that I am proud to be a part of. It is the nurses who are with these patients more than anyone else that deserves all the recognition that can be bestowed upon them. For all the care she showed to my family and myself, I nominate Taylor Curtis for the prestigious DAISY Award.