Grace Fitzsimmons
November 2023
Grace
Fitzsimmons
,
RN, BSN
6E/6W
Norton Children's Hospital
Louisville
,
KY
United States
When I became full of tears, Grace was there for me in a time of need to listen to me and assure me that what I was going through was difficult and that I needed to take care of myself at that time, too.
My 2-month-old son needed emergency abdominal surgery, and Grace took care of him the day after surgery. He was NPO, in pain, and really upset. She did everything she could to make sure he was as comfortable as he could be. She brought him toys, a swing, and child life in an attempt to keep him calm. Being a first-time mom and having gone through my baby needing surgery, I was an absolute emotional wreck. From the very start of her shift, Grace helped me through one of the toughest moments I’ve ever been through. She listened to me as I cried and helped ease my anxiety. She even came and checked on us the next day, even though she was on a totally different floor. Words can’t even begin to describe how thankful my husband and I are for our paths crossing with Grace. She is truly such an amazing nurse. I truly believe that she is the embodiment of every aspect of Norton’s Core Values and positively impacts every patient and family member she encounters.
***
Our two-week-old daughter spent ten days at Norton Children's Hospital on the 6th floor. As first-time parents of identical twin girls, we were completely overwhelmed by the fear of our newborn baby being very sick in the hospital, as well as traveling back and forth between home and the hospital to spend time with each of the twins. Grace was our very first morning shift nurse, and she quickly became so much more than just a nurse to us. Just two weeks postpartum, I was struggling as a mother with worry about my sick twin daughter and the heartbreak of being away from my other twin daughter. When I became full of tears, Grace was there for me in a time of need to listen to me and assure me that what I was going through was difficult and that I needed to take care of myself at that time, too. She was exactly what I needed on that day to validate everything that I was feeling in that moment. From that moment on, Grace went above and beyond to care for our precious baby girl. She was extremely knowledgeable and always had answers to our questions and advice on how to best care for our daughter. When our daughter presented with significant diaper rash, Grace knew exactly how to take care of it and we were able to quickly manage it before it got out of hand. On the days that Grace was not working, she was greatly missed. On the days that she was working, she was a bright spot in our stay at the hospital. Since my husband and I were traveling back and forth to stay with each of the twins, Grace was extremely helpful in having another set of hands to help take care of our daughter. From the beginning of our time at the hospital, we never once felt like our daughter was just a patient to Grace. Instead, it felt like our daughter was a family member of Grace's that she was caring for. Grace made our stay at the hospital much more enjoyable by making crafts out of our daughter's handprints and footprints for us to keep. I could go on forever about how amazing Grace is as a nurse. We are forever thankful for Grace caring for us in the hospital, and we will never forget the love and care she showed our sweet baby girl and our family during a very difficult time.
***
Our two-week-old daughter spent ten days at Norton Children's Hospital on the 6th floor. As first-time parents of identical twin girls, we were completely overwhelmed by the fear of our newborn baby being very sick in the hospital, as well as traveling back and forth between home and the hospital to spend time with each of the twins. Grace was our very first morning shift nurse, and she quickly became so much more than just a nurse to us. Just two weeks postpartum, I was struggling as a mother with worry about my sick twin daughter and the heartbreak of being away from my other twin daughter. When I became full of tears, Grace was there for me in a time of need to listen to me and assure me that what I was going through was difficult and that I needed to take care of myself at that time, too. She was exactly what I needed on that day to validate everything that I was feeling in that moment. From that moment on, Grace went above and beyond to care for our precious baby girl. She was extremely knowledgeable and always had answers to our questions and advice on how to best care for our daughter. When our daughter presented with significant diaper rash, Grace knew exactly how to take care of it and we were able to quickly manage it before it got out of hand. On the days that Grace was not working, she was greatly missed. On the days that she was working, she was a bright spot in our stay at the hospital. Since my husband and I were traveling back and forth to stay with each of the twins, Grace was extremely helpful in having another set of hands to help take care of our daughter. From the beginning of our time at the hospital, we never once felt like our daughter was just a patient to Grace. Instead, it felt like our daughter was a family member of Grace's that she was caring for. Grace made our stay at the hospital much more enjoyable by making crafts out of our daughter's handprints and footprints for us to keep. I could go on forever about how amazing Grace is as a nurse. We are forever thankful for Grace caring for us in the hospital, and we will never forget the love and care she showed our sweet baby girl and our family during a very difficult time.