Person nominated: Elaine Noonan
Unit or Department: Clarkson Labor & Delivery
Situation describing merit: We had the pleasure of working with Elaine in the past, after the birth of our 3rd child as well as during some prenatal testing for our most recent pregnancy. It is always comforting to see a familiar face and even have them remember you, but Elaine’s efforts go well beyond this. Our 4th child was unexpectedly born with Down Syndrome, a heart defect and pulmonary hypertension – requiring admission to the NICU. Meanwhile, I also had a difficult time after delivery with hemorrhage. After hearing of our outcomes, Elaine stopped by our room after her shift just to talk and see if she could do anything for us. The next day was probably the worst day of our lives. I called to see how the last few hours had gone for our daughter. “Let me have you talk with the doctor.” Never a good sign. The neonatologist requested we come and meet with the surgeon to discuss putting her on ECMO, heart/lung bypass. At this moment, Elaine walked in my room. I truly felt an overwhelming sense of relief; I knew that at least with Elaine around things would be the best they could. She hugged me, cried with me, talked with me – and we made a plan for the day. She helped me get my husband on the road (he was home with the other kids), packed a bag of necessities for me, got me cleaned up and wheeled me over to the NICU. Once there (not a short trip from Clarkson), Elaine stayed with me until my husband arrived. It was very reassuring to have someone else listening to the information, helping me process it, formulate questions and then relay it all to my husband. Elaine then made another of her many extra trips back to bring my pillow, my iPod and a pair of her own headphones for me to use. At one point the plan was to transfer our daughter to Children’s, everything was moving quickly as her condition was beginning to decline. I started to panic, what if something would happen to my daughter and I didn’t even have a picture of her? (This was also during one of the lovely snowstorms this season, making transportation higher risk.) One call to Elaine and she ran over with our camera. She even helped my co-workers pack my belongings so I could be discharged and follow our daughter to Children’s. Our daughter’s condition deteriorated rapidly, requiring she be placed on ECMO here and cancelling the transfer. That afternoon, Elaine came back to the NICU to reassess my blood pressure and bleeding, as well as bring my medications. I can remember talking to my mom on the phone. She was worried, about the baby, but about HER baby too – me. Mom felt bad that due to the weather she couldn’t come. I told her “Elaine is here, taking care of me just like you would – don’t worry.” Although I am a nurse and mom of 4, Elaine remained diligent with delivering patient education. She presented it in a manner that was not demeaning of my skills or knowledge, but a great reminder of all the essential postpartum issues. Elaine also included the whole family – interacting with each of our kids to help them feel like an important part of the process. Overall, Elaine’s efforts and care she provided helped make our difficult situation endurable. It is her unending commitment to extraordinary compassionate care that makes Elaine an excellent candidate for the Daisy Award.
Nomination submitted by: Anne Rich
Unit: Kidney Pancreas Transplant
Phone: 22932
Pager: 888-1567
Position in relation to the hospital: Patient
Date of nomination 2:30:06 PM on Sunday, February 14, 2010.