Lyndsey Debnam
May 2023
Lyndsey
Debnam
,
AS, RN
Pediatric Intensive Care Unit
Virginia Commonwealth University VCU Medical Center
Richmond
,
VA
United States
Lyndsey's care always put us at ease because we knew our daughter was safe, and that Lyndsey would be vigilant.
It was always such a relief when Lyndsey was assigned to our daughter. She is an incredible PICU nurse who went above and beyond daily.
She was attuned to our daughter’s needs - which are very complex, she was born with a condition called an omphalocele, where some of her major organs were in a sac outside her abdominal cavity. She was in the PICU following a staged omphalocele repair. Her stay was extensive as she faced several complications, but Lyndsey was always there to support us and our daughter. Lyndsey was with us every step of the way as our daughter was intubated three times, struggled with sedation to when she was extubated and suffered from seizures. We felt like she really valued our input and observations. Lyndsey's care always put us at ease because we knew our daughter was safe, and that Lyndsey would be vigilant. She was extremely communicative to us and the residents, fellows, attending doctors, and specialists - keeping us on the same page. She was incredible with her orientee too - giving clear, helpful direction while also providing her autonomy in a responsible, safe way.
Lyndsey's wit, humor, and caring personality made our hardest days so much better too. She would make a point to check in even when she wasn't assigned to her. One day, she was uncontrollably flailing and tremoring to the point that we couldn't hold her safely, and she even ripped one of her IVs out. It was clear she was not safe, and we needed a new weaning plan. Lyndsey was not our daughter’s nurse but checked in and supported us as a new weaning plan could be developed. She made recommendations for medications that had worked in the past to calm her. Her input was invaluable, and so appreciated on such a difficult day.
She was by our side to celebrate our biggest wins too - including to see her enjoy her first day outside after over a month in the PICU. Lyndsey's thoughtfulness even extended to her giving her some tiny flower hair clips, light up toys, and picking out the perfect books for her from the Ronald McDonald room. These acts brightened our daughter's days and made such a difference. We will always be grateful for everything she has done for our daughter and us. We couldn't have imagined a better advocate for our daughter, and VCU is so lucky to have such an incredible caregiver.
She was attuned to our daughter’s needs - which are very complex, she was born with a condition called an omphalocele, where some of her major organs were in a sac outside her abdominal cavity. She was in the PICU following a staged omphalocele repair. Her stay was extensive as she faced several complications, but Lyndsey was always there to support us and our daughter. Lyndsey was with us every step of the way as our daughter was intubated three times, struggled with sedation to when she was extubated and suffered from seizures. We felt like she really valued our input and observations. Lyndsey's care always put us at ease because we knew our daughter was safe, and that Lyndsey would be vigilant. She was extremely communicative to us and the residents, fellows, attending doctors, and specialists - keeping us on the same page. She was incredible with her orientee too - giving clear, helpful direction while also providing her autonomy in a responsible, safe way.
Lyndsey's wit, humor, and caring personality made our hardest days so much better too. She would make a point to check in even when she wasn't assigned to her. One day, she was uncontrollably flailing and tremoring to the point that we couldn't hold her safely, and she even ripped one of her IVs out. It was clear she was not safe, and we needed a new weaning plan. Lyndsey was not our daughter’s nurse but checked in and supported us as a new weaning plan could be developed. She made recommendations for medications that had worked in the past to calm her. Her input was invaluable, and so appreciated on such a difficult day.
She was by our side to celebrate our biggest wins too - including to see her enjoy her first day outside after over a month in the PICU. Lyndsey's thoughtfulness even extended to her giving her some tiny flower hair clips, light up toys, and picking out the perfect books for her from the Ronald McDonald room. These acts brightened our daughter's days and made such a difference. We will always be grateful for everything she has done for our daughter and us. We couldn't have imagined a better advocate for our daughter, and VCU is so lucky to have such an incredible caregiver.