Between my pregnancy complications and the following 6 months our son spent in the NICU, we dealt with a lot of different nurses. While we appreciated the work of each of them, Rachel stood out for her positivity, caring, and compassion. Rachel provided excellent care as our son's primary nurse. I felt like she really got to know him well and was able to interpret his various cries and facial expressions. Her love of our son was obvious to anyone who watched her interact with him. She was always smiling and talking to him.
At one point during his stay, our son got a nasty infection while intubated. Rachel knew my husband and I were nervous about leaving him for the night and also knew that I did not typically sleep through the night. She asked if I checked the NICVIEW camera when I got up in the night and left me little notes to read each time I got up. These notes gave me updates on his oxygen support and his overall well-being. I was able to rest easier knowing that someone who would take good care of him in my absence was on duty.
Rachel is also incredibly intelligent. She was excellent at explaining things to me without dumbing anything down. On the flip side, she was equally good at taking time to answer any follow-up questions I might have had. When the time came for training on how to use our son's g-tube, Rachel let me walk her through the process and offered feedback as many times as I felt I needed until I was comfortable. She took our home education very seriously and made sure we were as prepared as she could possibly make us.
Rachel was ALWAYS moving! She did not sit around during any of her occasional downtime. Instead, she would be up organizing supplies, talking to the babies in the pod, or offering to assist other nurses. I always appreciated her eye for detail and her insistence on keeping his bed space clean and organized. From the first time she had him, there was no doubt in my mind that she saw him as much more than her assignment for the day. Because of the connection we felt she had with our son from the beginning, we asked her to be a primary nurse, and we never regretted that decision.
Rachel cared for all the babies she was assigned to watch, but she had a great way of making us feel like our child was special. Rachel was not working on the day our son had his first major surgery, but she asked permission to check in on him before her next shift. She also knew I was staying at the Ronald McDonald House and that my husband and children were coming down on the weekends. When I was alone, she made sure to ask how I was doing and check to see if there was anything I needed. She learned the names and ages of our older children and would ask questions about how they were doing. When she saw them, she was able to ask specific questions about their lives and make them feel like a part of my life in Cincinnati. She left notes on the NICVIEW camera to let us know how our son was doing. I think the most impressive part of this connection to my family was that it never felt forced or fake. We always felt like she legitimately cared about the members of our family, especially our son.
Rachel was very good about discussing pros and cons with me whenever I had to make a decision. She never said anything that gave away her opinion or would sway my own, but she was great at helping me see both sides. She also did so much to help me feel more comfortable taking care of him. When we realized he would be going home on oxygen and with a g-tube, she showed me how to use the equipment, then had me practice and practice until I felt totally comfortable doing it. She was my cheerleader and made me feel like this was something I could handle. She also provided feedback about things I could improve upon. Every morning she would check with me to see what my schedule looked like for the day. She let me be as involved as my schedule allowed and never made me feel like I was in the way. She made sure to keep me informed on things such as visits from PT, OT, or Speech so I could be present while they were there. She even went so far as to rearrange her whole day and bathe our son at a different time than she had originally planned just so I could be there to help.