Allisa Wacek
May 2025
Allisa
Wacek
,
BSN, RN
Women Services
Legacy Meridian Park Medical Center
Tualatin
,
OR
United States
My patient and her partner have shared that Allisa was an unforgettable source of support during the three hardest days of their life as they delivered their stillborn daughter.
Just about one month ago, I learned that a pregnant patient of mine had presented to our L&D unit, and it was discovered that her baby had died just days before her due date. I rushed in to offer support and, upon arriving at the unit, learned that Allisa was assigned to care for her that day. I immediately knew that my patient and her partner were going to be well-cared for during the hardest moments of their life as they received devastating news about their unborn daughter and next had to anticipate delivery. Allisa started the first of three consecutive shifts and took care of the patient and her partner for the entirety of their hospital stay. She brought the compassion, faith, and encouraging support that this family needed during such a heartbreaking time.
As a provider, I felt confident that she was the absolute best nurse who could have been caring for them. While we typically get to celebrate the best days of families' lives in our labor unit, it is devastating to all when the outcome is the loss of a baby. Over the years, Allisa has dedicated extra time and energy to streamlining the process of supporting families through this experience. This includes organizing resources for nurses and families, such as funeral services, and coordinating ways to memorialize infants who have passed, including footprints, mementos, and photos. She has gone above and beyond the expectations of her position to help support her nursing team and countless families when the unthinkable occurs.
During this recent experience, Allisa crafted a beautiful shadowbox memorializing the baby's footprints in addition to beautiful castings of her hands and feet to send home with the family. My patient and her partner have shared that Allisa was an unforgettable source of support during the three hardest days of their life as they delivered their stillborn daughter. They were so appreciative of her care and hope to have her as their nurse again when they consider having a baby in the future. It takes a very special nurse to be able to switch gears to supporting grief in such a thoughtful way. Allisa has really mastered being a skilled L&D nurse but has really honed the ability to care for our patients during a loss. We all appreciate her so much.
As a provider, I felt confident that she was the absolute best nurse who could have been caring for them. While we typically get to celebrate the best days of families' lives in our labor unit, it is devastating to all when the outcome is the loss of a baby. Over the years, Allisa has dedicated extra time and energy to streamlining the process of supporting families through this experience. This includes organizing resources for nurses and families, such as funeral services, and coordinating ways to memorialize infants who have passed, including footprints, mementos, and photos. She has gone above and beyond the expectations of her position to help support her nursing team and countless families when the unthinkable occurs.
During this recent experience, Allisa crafted a beautiful shadowbox memorializing the baby's footprints in addition to beautiful castings of her hands and feet to send home with the family. My patient and her partner have shared that Allisa was an unforgettable source of support during the three hardest days of their life as they delivered their stillborn daughter. They were so appreciative of her care and hope to have her as their nurse again when they consider having a baby in the future. It takes a very special nurse to be able to switch gears to supporting grief in such a thoughtful way. Allisa has really mastered being a skilled L&D nurse but has really honed the ability to care for our patients during a loss. We all appreciate her so much.