My family has received the best care ever by a specific nurse at St. AlphonsusHospital. Alysha cared for my son in ICU, she actually cared for our entire family as she guided us through what to expect of his days and nights while in ICU.
Alysha was outstanding in her knowledge base; I quickly noticed that there were never going to be any short cuts taken for my son's care. It was refreshing to see someone take the long way instead of a short cut. My son had been in ICU for nine days and we obviously had more nurses that Alysha, but her care was different. She made sure everything was done correctly and very quickly pointed out to others if it weren't. I feel the level of her knowledge helped me daily in understanding the next steps in my son's care. It was outstanding the way she directed and facilitated what was going on daily in his room. My son was on a ventilator and obviously was sedated to a comfortable level; Alysha cared and treated him as if he were awake and could understand what was going on. She took the time to explain thoroughly to him what she was doing each step of the way.
My praise to Alysha for her level of compassion goes beyond her care for my son, but rather the care she took of my husband and myself. It was Alysha's goal daily to ensure that I was informed of everything going on around me; it was so comforting. Daily, I would ask the same questions and daily, she would not get upset or frustrated with me. Alysha just simply went through the information again, smiling and reassuring me it was okay. I could tell how much pride she took in keeping the family comfortable; I felt it was her sole purpose to make us understand and be comfortable with the procedures and processes. I knew that if Alysha could give us what we needed, she could then give all her attention to her patient. It is not often that I have found a nurse who cares for the family as much as the patient. Once my son went up to a regular floor, Alysha made it a point to stop in and check on him when she got off work.
I chuckle when I think of how by the book Alysha was. Too often we forget that people see what we do more than what we say, and Alysha is a role model nurse. Many times, she had someone who was in training with her during my son's care. It was incredible to see how Alysha facilitated the growth and knowledge of her trainee. She not only made the trainee feel empowered, but made me feel comfortable to know that if Alysha wasn't going to be in the room, my son would still have the same level of care! The way she spoke was incredible and the lessons she taught with the whys behind what she was doing was impeccable. I value and appreciate someone who leads by example and does not shy away from the right thing to do!
Alysha's service went far beyond caring for my son; it encompassed training, coordinating time for lengthy family consolations, and being of service to the doctor. Alysha represented the hospital in such a professional manner that words cannot do it justice. I feel that during Alysha's time with my son I have learned so much and received care far beyond my expectations.