Elise Chabot with H's mom
March 2014
Elise
Chabot
,
BSN, RN
Cardiology
Texas Children's Hospital
Houston
,
TX
United States
...I'm the aunt of a TCH patient, H. She was diagnosed with pulmonary vein stenosis on January 10. She has had 3 catherization procedures in the 9 weeks she's been at the hospital.
I first met Elise Chabot a week after H's admittance, when I came to stay overnight with her, to give my sister a break. I was shocked to see Hadley attached to so many machines, looking so pale and thin, and we are still having emotional difficulty processing her devastating diagnosis. Elise came into the room to introduce herself to me when her shift began, and her gentle and peaceful presence, partnered with an appropriate amount of strength and confidence, was immediately noticeable. I began to feel more comfortable.
Throughout the course of her 12 hour shift, she helped me to learn how to hold H with all of the cords present, she worked to get her to complete all of her feedings with great patience, and she managed all of her care while explaining to me what was happening. In addition to this, she was superb at entering and exiting the room quietly, so as not to disturb what little sleep I was able to get. The most important thing Elise did that night was read my emotions, and without needing prompting, she naturally guided me through the process of adjusting to Hadley's new normal. She did this by explaining what the numbers on the monitor meant, told me when I needed to be concerned about an alarm. When she found me weeping over H's sick and sleeping body she kindly found and brought me tissues. In her subsequent shifts with H she studied her favorite sleep positions, helped us figure out the best time span for night feedings, and expertly repositioned the frustrating nasal cannula instead of just putting more tape on top of a taped mess.
I've spent countless nights with H in her 9 weeks at TCH. Since those first 2 nights with H, when Elise was caring for her, I've come to have even more appreciation and respect for her meticulous and efficient care. She is an outstanding nurse and I hope she can be recognized for her great patient and family care.
I first met Elise Chabot a week after H's admittance, when I came to stay overnight with her, to give my sister a break. I was shocked to see Hadley attached to so many machines, looking so pale and thin, and we are still having emotional difficulty processing her devastating diagnosis. Elise came into the room to introduce herself to me when her shift began, and her gentle and peaceful presence, partnered with an appropriate amount of strength and confidence, was immediately noticeable. I began to feel more comfortable.
Throughout the course of her 12 hour shift, she helped me to learn how to hold H with all of the cords present, she worked to get her to complete all of her feedings with great patience, and she managed all of her care while explaining to me what was happening. In addition to this, she was superb at entering and exiting the room quietly, so as not to disturb what little sleep I was able to get. The most important thing Elise did that night was read my emotions, and without needing prompting, she naturally guided me through the process of adjusting to Hadley's new normal. She did this by explaining what the numbers on the monitor meant, told me when I needed to be concerned about an alarm. When she found me weeping over H's sick and sleeping body she kindly found and brought me tissues. In her subsequent shifts with H she studied her favorite sleep positions, helped us figure out the best time span for night feedings, and expertly repositioned the frustrating nasal cannula instead of just putting more tape on top of a taped mess.
I've spent countless nights with H in her 9 weeks at TCH. Since those first 2 nights with H, when Elise was caring for her, I've come to have even more appreciation and respect for her meticulous and efficient care. She is an outstanding nurse and I hope she can be recognized for her great patient and family care.