Elizabeth "Lizz" Stephenson
February 2023
Elizabeth "Lizz"
Stephenson
,
RN
Inpatient
Family Health West Hospital
Fruita
,
CO
United States

 

 

 

During Mom's stay, Lizz made sure she had puzzles, cards, coloring pictures, and crayons.
Amid all the flurry of beeping, buzzing, and nurses scurrying through the halls one individual stands out as an exemplary nurse to me. My 95-year-old mother had a hip replacement and after spending 3 nights at Community Hospital, my mother was transferred to Family Health West's inpatient division. My mom was a restless patient who kept insisting on going home and being stubborn with employees trying to help her. It seemed that dementia was even more apparent in the hospital setting even though she complied with OT, PT, and ST. I'm not sure when Lizz first came to work, but she would sit with Mom because she understood how lonely Mom felt. One evening she called and put Mom on the phone so I could reassure her which helped Mother to relax. Lizz realized Mom was progressing rapidly in her mobility and was a key advocate in letting Mom go home sooner than the two weeks proposed by the department heads. This was only after she knew we had home healthcare. During Mom's stay, Lizz made sure she had puzzles, cards, coloring pictures, and crayons. All this while caring for other patients in her care. This girl is a skillful compassionate practitioner who defines what a high EQ means.