Courtney was one of the nurses that cared for my father during his stay at VCU. My father had been transferred to VCU's Coronary Intensive Care Unit with an impella pump after a major ischemic event related to severe coronary artery disease.
Shortly after removing the pump at VCU, my father suffered a subsequent stroke that was recognized and treated immediately because Courtney was in the room with him. Courtney's quick action was the product of not only her proficiency as a nurse but of her genuine caring. After the team of doctors briefed me on my father's condition, Courtney found me in the bathroom grieving. She went out of her way to look for me and make sure I was okay.
My father was eventually transferred to Main 10C for a few weeks while recovering from his aphasia and while a treatment plan was being developed. Courtney visited him even though he was not her unit and she made a point to be there when my father passed away after another acute ischemic event. She held his hand as he passed and then held me as I cried.
Courtney was there, every single impossibly difficult step of the way. There are not the right words or a proper award to adequately encompass the depth of the gratitude I will hold towards her for the rest of my life. One does not learn in school to nurse the way that Courtney does, for her compassion is not something that can be taught. I have encountered many incredible nurses throughout this experience, and she is, simply and without exception or exaggeration, among the best of your best.