Ashley Dowdy
March 2014
Ashley
Dowdy
,
RN
Main 9 Central, Surgery Trauma Unit
VCU Medical Center
Richmond
,
VA
United States
I am writing to express my deepest appreciation for Nurse Ashley Dowdy. She came to my rescue to end a frustrating two week nightmare to supply my 84 year old father a critically needed hospital bed at his home.
On 31 January I had arrived from out of town to check on my father who had major cancer surgery and was released from the hospital on 17 January. He still had a trach and feeding tube in his nose. To my horror, I found that he had been sleeping in a chair since being released because a hospital bed had never been delivered to him.
I spent most of that afternoon on the phone with the home nursing care office, the medical supply company that was supposed to have delivered his bed and finally, Medicare - trying to no avail, to arrange for a bed. After another frustrating morning on the phone the next day (1 Feb), I decided to start over and return to your hospital where he had his surgery. I explained my problem to the receptionist. Ashley overheard my dilemma and came over to get more information. She listened and could not believe that my father had been forced to sleep in a chair for two weeks. So despite being the nurse in charge that day, in addition to having six patients assigned to her, she immediately agreed to help me. She made numerous phone calls on my behalf and after nearly two hours of making phone calls while juggling her other duties, she produced a prescription for a hospital bed and faxed it to a medical supply company that would deliver a bed the same day.
Ashley could have just kept walking when she heard me explaining my situation to the receptionist - but she didn't. Her kindness and compassion nearly brought me to tears. I had spent hours on the phone, including the home nursing care company and medical supply company, and no one seemed to care that an 84 year old patient had been sleeping in a chair for two weeks. Ashley did - and I wanted to make sure that you know what type of employee you have. In my eyes, she is a role model nurse and an even better human being. I will be forever grateful to Ashley Dowdy for her help and kindness.
On 31 January I had arrived from out of town to check on my father who had major cancer surgery and was released from the hospital on 17 January. He still had a trach and feeding tube in his nose. To my horror, I found that he had been sleeping in a chair since being released because a hospital bed had never been delivered to him.
I spent most of that afternoon on the phone with the home nursing care office, the medical supply company that was supposed to have delivered his bed and finally, Medicare - trying to no avail, to arrange for a bed. After another frustrating morning on the phone the next day (1 Feb), I decided to start over and return to your hospital where he had his surgery. I explained my problem to the receptionist. Ashley overheard my dilemma and came over to get more information. She listened and could not believe that my father had been forced to sleep in a chair for two weeks. So despite being the nurse in charge that day, in addition to having six patients assigned to her, she immediately agreed to help me. She made numerous phone calls on my behalf and after nearly two hours of making phone calls while juggling her other duties, she produced a prescription for a hospital bed and faxed it to a medical supply company that would deliver a bed the same day.
Ashley could have just kept walking when she heard me explaining my situation to the receptionist - but she didn't. Her kindness and compassion nearly brought me to tears. I had spent hours on the phone, including the home nursing care company and medical supply company, and no one seemed to care that an 84 year old patient had been sleeping in a chair for two weeks. Ashley did - and I wanted to make sure that you know what type of employee you have. In my eyes, she is a role model nurse and an even better human being. I will be forever grateful to Ashley Dowdy for her help and kindness.