I would like to recognize Robin for her clinical excellence and outstanding compassionate care to baby M and his family. Baby M was diagnosed prenatally with Trisomy 18 and a variety of associated defects that unfortunately were not compatible with life. The parents made the very difficult decision to continue the pregnancy and then provide comfort palliative care for baby M after birth.
Robin was assigned as the nurse to care for this family during the labor and delivery and she gave them an exceptional experience given the circumstances. Caring for a dying infant is one of the hardest things we do in the medical field and Robin took on this responsibility with dignity. Robin assumed the palliative care role for baby M during his few short hours of life up until he took his last breaths. The difficulty in caring for a term newborn who is dying cannot possibly be stated in words, and yet Robin did so with grace and compassion that was truly above and beyond. She went to great lengths to ensure that baby M and his family had everything, anticipated their needs, and gave them the empathy and love they desperately needed in this impossible time.
Robin even went behind the scenes making multiple phone calls after his death to arrange for respectful and appropriate viewing, mourning, and transfer to the morgue and funeral home. The family expressed to me on multiple occasions how truly grateful and blessed they were for Robin and everything she did to make their experience as peaceful as it was, and how blessed they were to have nurse Robin. Her actions, in this case, are the epitome of the DAISY Award and she deserves to be recognized for her clinical excellence and outstanding compassionate care!