Having a baby and being in the hospital can be a stressful event for any family. Especially around the holidays. Nora Whisnant is a resident RN at Northeast Georgia Medical Center Braselton in the Mother Baby department. She has been an RN for less than a year and is part of our residency program. Shortly after Thanksgiving, Nora cared for a patient who had just given birth and had an 8-year-old son at home. While Nora was providing care, she overheard her patient talking on the phone to her son at home. He was distraught that their family dog had chewed up their Elf on the Shelf and torn him apart. He was crying and very upset, worried that Santa would not come for Christmas if their Elf were destroyed. The patient was stressed and saddened that she could not be home to comfort her son and fix the problem.

Seeing her patient's distress, Nora had an idea of how she could help. Nora planned a way to ensure the Elf could receive care and that Christmas would not be ruined for this family. Nora used quick thinking, compassion, and inspiration to develop and execute a plan! The Elf needed prompt surgery, a brief overnight stay in the hospital, and tender love and care from a committed nurse! Nora's patient explained to her son that his father would bring their Elf to the hospital for emergency surgery, he would spend the night in the hospital with Mom, and then would be healed and able to come home to recover just in time for Christmas. Nora shared her plan with the OB doctor-on-call, who happily agreed to perform the emergency surgery and pose for pictures that could be shared with the boy. Nora's patient shared the pictures and great news that the Elf's surgery was a success and that he was on the road to recovery!

Meanwhile, a new Elf was ordered online and shipped via expedited overnight shipping to the family and brought to the hospital. Nora created after-care instructions for the Elf, bandages for the new Elf to show his post-op wounds, and ensured the patient had photos of it to share with their son. Nora showed her commitment to caring for the whole person when caring for this family. Not only does she provide excellent and safe patient care, but she also makes sure her patients have a wonderful experience and care for their mental health and soul. She likes to joke and say that she's just "extra", but anyone who works with Nora or has received care from her knows that she embodies compassion, empathy and excitement for going above and beyond for her patients, coworkers and her own family. This story is just one of many examples of how she brings her all to her craft.