Sharon Croft
May 2021
Sharon
Croft
,
RN, Charge Nurse, CMS Certified
Surgical Care
SSM Health St. Mary's Hospital - Madison
Madison
,
WI
United States
Sharon checked on me throughout those 6 days even though she wasn’t assigned to me. It was very comforting.
I came in to have a surgical procedure. I was advised by my surgeon to prepare for a one-night stay in the hospital. While I have had other surgeries before, they have always been outpatient, so I was a little nervous about having to stay overnight. After my procedure, I was taken to the fourth floor to my room. I was still pretty out of it and don’t remember very clearly what happened over the next 24 hours. What I do remember, I will always be thankful for.
The first thing I remember is being very wet. I had a fever and sweat through my linens and my gown. My hair was drenched in sweat, and I remember being very uncomfortable and in a lot of pain. I remember Nurse Sharon was very concerned and attentive to me. Her voice was very calming and comforting. The compassion in her voice proved she really cared about what I was feeling. She helped clean me off with a cool washcloth and got me changed into a dry gown. She immediately requested a fan be brought up to my room to cool me down.
Once I was cooled down and back in bed, Sharon continued to check on me more frequently than I think she was required to. I really felt scared. I was still in a lot of pain, but the times Sharon came and made small talk with me were a much-needed distraction. I was in pain, uncomfortable, and felt lonely but Sharon felt like a friend. I can’t remember when Sharon had left for the day, but I know she did check on me before she left, and I thanked her very much for taking such good care of me.
I began to have chest pain and shortness of breath along with belly pain throughout the night. Another outstanding Nurse helped me through that. I had spiked a high fever and my difficulty breathing was getting a lot worse. The doctor feared I may have developed a pulmonary embolism, so they sent me to get a CT scan. I had never been so scared in my entire life. When I had to lay flat for the scan I couldn’t breathe. It’s an indescribable feeling to try to take a breath and not be able to. I was terrified. I think I began panicking but the Nurses' comforting voices and touch while holding my hand and rubbing my back allowed me to calm down. It was later discovered that during my surgical procedure a blood vessel was nicked near my diaphragm, and I had been bleeding internally during that first 24 hours. I had another surgery to repair the diaphragm. I ended up being in the hospital for 6 days before finally being discharged. Sharon checked on me throughout those 6 days even though she wasn’t assigned to me. It was very comforting.
On a different note, Nurse Sharon and some other nurses were very nice and said very nice things to me about my being in Law Enforcement. Nurse Sharon thanked me for my service, and it made me feel even more comfortable. There’s a lot of people in this world that do not like cops right now. When I am in a very vulnerable, helpless state, it’s not a good thing to have to worry about the level of care dropping because of what I do for a living. Nurse Sharon went about and beyond to make me feel comfortable and safe. I will always be thankful for Sharon. She got me through the scariest moment of my life, and I cannot describe how grateful I am. Sharon is an exceptional Nurse. She is a great representative of SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital and is an amazing example of the Mission and Values.
The first thing I remember is being very wet. I had a fever and sweat through my linens and my gown. My hair was drenched in sweat, and I remember being very uncomfortable and in a lot of pain. I remember Nurse Sharon was very concerned and attentive to me. Her voice was very calming and comforting. The compassion in her voice proved she really cared about what I was feeling. She helped clean me off with a cool washcloth and got me changed into a dry gown. She immediately requested a fan be brought up to my room to cool me down.
Once I was cooled down and back in bed, Sharon continued to check on me more frequently than I think she was required to. I really felt scared. I was still in a lot of pain, but the times Sharon came and made small talk with me were a much-needed distraction. I was in pain, uncomfortable, and felt lonely but Sharon felt like a friend. I can’t remember when Sharon had left for the day, but I know she did check on me before she left, and I thanked her very much for taking such good care of me.
I began to have chest pain and shortness of breath along with belly pain throughout the night. Another outstanding Nurse helped me through that. I had spiked a high fever and my difficulty breathing was getting a lot worse. The doctor feared I may have developed a pulmonary embolism, so they sent me to get a CT scan. I had never been so scared in my entire life. When I had to lay flat for the scan I couldn’t breathe. It’s an indescribable feeling to try to take a breath and not be able to. I was terrified. I think I began panicking but the Nurses' comforting voices and touch while holding my hand and rubbing my back allowed me to calm down. It was later discovered that during my surgical procedure a blood vessel was nicked near my diaphragm, and I had been bleeding internally during that first 24 hours. I had another surgery to repair the diaphragm. I ended up being in the hospital for 6 days before finally being discharged. Sharon checked on me throughout those 6 days even though she wasn’t assigned to me. It was very comforting.
On a different note, Nurse Sharon and some other nurses were very nice and said very nice things to me about my being in Law Enforcement. Nurse Sharon thanked me for my service, and it made me feel even more comfortable. There’s a lot of people in this world that do not like cops right now. When I am in a very vulnerable, helpless state, it’s not a good thing to have to worry about the level of care dropping because of what I do for a living. Nurse Sharon went about and beyond to make me feel comfortable and safe. I will always be thankful for Sharon. She got me through the scariest moment of my life, and I cannot describe how grateful I am. Sharon is an exceptional Nurse. She is a great representative of SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital and is an amazing example of the Mission and Values.