This nurse took over after my nephew was intubated, and right off the bat, she instilled confidence and reassurance in a very anxious Mom.  After watching her son decompensate for 24+ hours, Mom not only felt helpless and out of control, but she felt overwhelmed by the unfamiliar medical interventions. During this nurse’s initial rounding, she said, "I know this is very scary for you, but it doesn't have to be; please talk to me about any concerns and ask me any questions."  She was one of the first providers to address Mom directly and engage her in my nephew’s care.  She spoke with such confidence, compassion, and sincerity that we felt immediately at ease.

Throughout her shift, she advocated for my nephew, made sure he was comfortable, provided excellent clinical care, engaged multiple members of the interdisciplinary team, and continued to reassure Mom through education.  Not only did she explain what she was doing, she explained why she was doing it.  She talked to Mom about things to worry about, when to alert the nursing staff, and positive signs that my nephew was resting comfortably.  Mom is very analytical, and it helped her feel more in control when she knew what to expect and what to look for.  In fact, she instilled so much confidence that Mom was finally able to get some rest that night.

While this nurse was assigned to us on other nights, she, unfortunately, was often reassigned mid-shift. However, just knowing she was there if we needed her helped us all rest easy.  Our family lovingly refers to her as "Our Saving Grace" in our group chat, and I wholeheartedly believe that my nephew's relatively speedy recovery was attributed to her attention to detail and compassionate care.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!