On Saturday evening, I was admitted to the Labor and Delivery Unit at Rex with a diagnosis of pre-eclampsia and plans for an induction. I had two fantastic nurses for the first 24 hours of my admission, but the quality of care was elevated at 7 pm when Jayme came into my room for her shift. The first 12 hours of my admission came with some excitement and chaos as we began treatment for the pre-eclampsia. The second 12 hours was the beginning of the induction and an opportunity to relax. The third shift (the night Jayme was working) was accompanied by exhaustion and great discomfort. When Jayme entered the room, she brought a calm, confident demeanor that immediately put me at ease.
Shortly after the shift began, I became grossly hypotensive and before I could even verbalize that I was not feeling well, Jayme spotted my blood pressure and rapidly entered the room to reposition me in a way that would help restore my pressure. Her swift action not only contributed to my physical state, but it further enhanced the confidence we had in her to care for me throughout the remainder of the shift.
At about 2 am, I was feeling restless and anxious. Jayme recognized that I really just needed someone to talk to. She sat in my room for about 45 minutes and answered my questions and let me talk to her, just human to human. Like many patients do, I began to ask her questions about her life and her family. She answered them genuinely and thoughtfully, but she never made the conversation about her. She was respectful and maintained an appropriate nurse/patient relationship. Needless to say, I became much more relaxed with her presence and was able to sleep for a few hours after our conversation.
Finally, Jayme was an advocate for me. At about 4:30 am, the physician asked Jayme if she could come in to check me and see how I was progressing. Given that both the baby and I were stable, Jayme advocated for me to get a couple more hours of sleep. She requested that the physician come back in a couple hours. It can be easy to be swayed by a provider's request, yet Jayme recognized that my rest was more important. It made all the difference in the world.
Above all of these experiences though, Jayme's attention to the little things blew me away. It was clear that my comfort was her goal and she worked hard to position the pillow just as I needed it or help me shift in bed just 5 minutes after she had helped me reposition before. And she always made sure that I could reach my glasses and chapstick before she left the room. I have never felt so cared for in such stressful conditions in my life. As a registered nurse myself, it is natural to have high expectations of your nursing care. I set the bar high, and rarely do I feel someone reaches it. Jayme not only reached the bar, but she essentially jumped over it. I will be forever grateful that our paths crossed during this time in my life.
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I am so thankful for the care given to my wife on the evening our baby was born. Jayme is an extraordinary nurse. She made sure that not only my wife was comfortable and safe, but she also did the same for me. She also gave me confidence that my wife would be cared for and I could rest with ease. Jayme gave exceptional care to my wife, myself, and our baby. I have no doubt she performs with this excellence every day on the Labor and Delivery Unit. It was a privilege to be her patient.