January 2022
Michelle
Walkup
,
ASN, RN
45 Pediatrics
UF Health Shands
Gainesville
,
FL
United States
Michelle noticed that the mother was still on isolation after the expected quarantine period and was restricted from visiting. Michelle investigated and worked with infection control to get the restrictions cleared.
We have a patient on 45 Peds who was born at Shands. She is now 5 weeks old and has never left the hospital. Her mother was very ill and COVID positive. The mother and infant were separated due to COVID status. When the infant was transferred to 45 Peds, Jennifer was very careful to keep the mother informed by sending pictures and updates through the EASE app. She kept her up to date through phone conversations also. Michelle noticed that the mother was still on isolation after the expected quarantine period and was restricted from visiting. This seemed to go on forever. Michelle investigated and worked with infection control to get the restrictions cleared. Jennifer called the mother and gave her the good news. The infant’s six-year-old sister had never seen her in person. Currently, no visitors under 18 are allowed. This is radically different from our family-centered approach. The mom told Jennifer that her child cried every night because she wanted to meet her sister and hold her. Jennifer asked if we could bend the visitation policy for a very short time. With permission, the mother came to visit her child and she brought her daughter. The really fun part was watching the sister skip down our hallway to meet her baby sister for the first time. Jennifer helped the mom get settled in a chair with both of her girls in her lap. She took pictures with the mom’s cell phone. And, she helped them FaceTime with Dad. I feel like this is nursing at its finest. These nurses cared for the entire family, physically and emotionally. They made a lasting memory for a mother and her children.