Heather Bowden
August 2022
Heather
Bowden
,
BSN, RCC-MNN
OB/GYN Clinic
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
Columbus
,
OH
United States
She engaged and gave the patient the most precious resources a nurse can give, empathy, compassion, and time.
I have had the pleasure of working with Heather Bowden BSN RNC-MNN for 15 years. She is an exceptional nurse and I actively recruited her to come to join our team at McCambell Hall ObGyn Clinic. Heather serves as the primary nurse in the 4th-trimester Clinic and as a nurse on the STEPP Clinic team. I was able to witness an exceptional moment between Heather and a patient. This moment is why I I believe Heather is a true DAISY Nurse.
In the Substance abuse, Education, Prevention Program we care for women that are pregnant with an active addiction or history of substance use disorder. We help get them stabilized on Medication for Opiate Use disorder and do group therapy in addition to their Obstetrical care. Compliant patients can stay in our program for one year postpartum and continue with our group and individual counseling. We also provide supplementary education programs on parenting specific to whatever the patients want, to promote a patient-driven model of care.
Our group days are very busy as we often see 20-plus patients. These patients have a lot of needs and require a great deal of emotional support. Heather discovered that many of them are suffering from body dysmorphia. During our crazy clinic we were all going in different directions trying to tend to each patient. Heather was doing vitals on one patient in particular. Heather noticed that after she had the patient step on the scale she became visibly upset. Despite Heather's best efforts, she was unable to get the patient to label or identify what she feeling. Heather continued on with her day keeping a close eye on this patient in case she wanted to talk. Heather and I both left so group therapy could start. Heather immediately noticed the patient was crying in the lobby while holding her newborn. Heather quickly jumped into action. She quietly sat down with her and held her and offered to hold her newborn while she was crying. It took about 30 minutes for the patient to be ready to talk about why she was so upset.
During this I observed Heather providing a new mother and her infant with emotional and positive support. The patient then disclosed how awful she was feeling about her body and her weight. She shared that during her active addiction she was so thin because she went days without eating. She had just celebrated 9 months in recovery and during the pregnancy has gained around 40lbs. She was struggling with not feeling good about herself. This led to Heather and her having a heart-to-heart about how addiction, self-loathing, guilt, and shame really affect her feeling of self-worth. She hadn't been able to yet celebrate herself and all her accomplishments due to this overwhelming feeling of not feeling good about herself. Heather listened and they talked for over an hour. Heather reinforced all her accomplishments and how she was now a mother, doing everything to break the cycle of addiction, and for her daughter to build their lives together. Heather then talked to her about eating habits and nutrition. The patient had not ever had any education on balancing her plate or nutrition in general. The patient was so grateful for their talk and thanked Heather for taking the time to be with her. Heather was in the middle of an extremely busy day. She didn't have to spend over an hour comforting her and letting her know she was important and cared about.
Many nurses would have walked by not engaging so they could finish their work, but Heather didn't. She engaged and gave the patient the most precious resources a nurse can give, empathy, compassion, and time. Heather then reached out to our dietician, who was available. She facilitated the patient and our dietician to meet that very same day. When the patient left that day, she gave Heather the biggest hug and said "Heather, you don't even know how much today meant to me. I know it may seem stupid to some people was it really important to me. I didn't have anyone to talk to about it. You are the best nurse." That is what makes Heather a DAISY Nurse.
She takes care of all of her patients in this manner. I am so lucky she is on our team. She brings that extra level of care to every patient she interacts with. We have since added in body positivity and nutrition education into our curriculum. We now also only have them do their weights when they want to instead of weekly.
In the Substance abuse, Education, Prevention Program we care for women that are pregnant with an active addiction or history of substance use disorder. We help get them stabilized on Medication for Opiate Use disorder and do group therapy in addition to their Obstetrical care. Compliant patients can stay in our program for one year postpartum and continue with our group and individual counseling. We also provide supplementary education programs on parenting specific to whatever the patients want, to promote a patient-driven model of care.
Our group days are very busy as we often see 20-plus patients. These patients have a lot of needs and require a great deal of emotional support. Heather discovered that many of them are suffering from body dysmorphia. During our crazy clinic we were all going in different directions trying to tend to each patient. Heather was doing vitals on one patient in particular. Heather noticed that after she had the patient step on the scale she became visibly upset. Despite Heather's best efforts, she was unable to get the patient to label or identify what she feeling. Heather continued on with her day keeping a close eye on this patient in case she wanted to talk. Heather and I both left so group therapy could start. Heather immediately noticed the patient was crying in the lobby while holding her newborn. Heather quickly jumped into action. She quietly sat down with her and held her and offered to hold her newborn while she was crying. It took about 30 minutes for the patient to be ready to talk about why she was so upset.
During this I observed Heather providing a new mother and her infant with emotional and positive support. The patient then disclosed how awful she was feeling about her body and her weight. She shared that during her active addiction she was so thin because she went days without eating. She had just celebrated 9 months in recovery and during the pregnancy has gained around 40lbs. She was struggling with not feeling good about herself. This led to Heather and her having a heart-to-heart about how addiction, self-loathing, guilt, and shame really affect her feeling of self-worth. She hadn't been able to yet celebrate herself and all her accomplishments due to this overwhelming feeling of not feeling good about herself. Heather listened and they talked for over an hour. Heather reinforced all her accomplishments and how she was now a mother, doing everything to break the cycle of addiction, and for her daughter to build their lives together. Heather then talked to her about eating habits and nutrition. The patient had not ever had any education on balancing her plate or nutrition in general. The patient was so grateful for their talk and thanked Heather for taking the time to be with her. Heather was in the middle of an extremely busy day. She didn't have to spend over an hour comforting her and letting her know she was important and cared about.
Many nurses would have walked by not engaging so they could finish their work, but Heather didn't. She engaged and gave the patient the most precious resources a nurse can give, empathy, compassion, and time. Heather then reached out to our dietician, who was available. She facilitated the patient and our dietician to meet that very same day. When the patient left that day, she gave Heather the biggest hug and said "Heather, you don't even know how much today meant to me. I know it may seem stupid to some people was it really important to me. I didn't have anyone to talk to about it. You are the best nurse." That is what makes Heather a DAISY Nurse.
She takes care of all of her patients in this manner. I am so lucky she is on our team. She brings that extra level of care to every patient she interacts with. We have since added in body positivity and nutrition education into our curriculum. We now also only have them do their weights when they want to instead of weekly.