Audrey Bateman
February 2018
Audrey
Bateman
,
MSN, RN, C-EFM
Labor & Delivery
Miami Valley Hospital
Dayton
,
OH
United States
In late June, at my 18-week appointment, my husband and I discovered that our baby's little heart had stopped beating. We made the decision to deliver the baby because it would give us the opportunity to meet as well as say goodbye to our baby. I was admitted to the labor and delivery unit and felt very confident that I had my head wrapped around what was happening to me and my family. Looking back, I know now that my husband and I were both numb and simply existing at that moment. We were two people far away from functioning or understanding the meaning of this experience.
My induction began on Thursday morning and I did not deliver until Saturday evening. The first two days of my stay, my nurse was Audrey Bateman. She adapted to what my husband and I needed. She would chat with us about our families, kids and their activities and experiences in nursing. She was attentive to our needs and was a great nurse. At the end of her shift on Friday, as she prepared to leave, she informed us that she would not return until the following week. Just prior to leaving, she did something that I did not expect and will never forget.
Audrey courageously stepped into a place with us that was vulnerable, broken, intimate and downright confusing. She did what so many feel inclined to do but avoid because they are not sure how to step into that place. She asked if she could pray for us. We were both surprised and quickly agreed. She did something that seems so simple, but I cannot articulate to you how her prayer has lingered with me. She prayed for us all the things that at the time we were incapable of asking for, understanding, or seeking. She prayed for peace and understanding of the significance of our child's life. She did for us what we couldn't even grasp doing for ourselves at an incredibly broken time. Eventually, we delivered our third baby boy.
Whenever I think of him, I remember his birth, think of his worth and meaning of his life. I often think of Audrey. She provided us with more than any service; she gave of herself to help us begin to heal.
My induction began on Thursday morning and I did not deliver until Saturday evening. The first two days of my stay, my nurse was Audrey Bateman. She adapted to what my husband and I needed. She would chat with us about our families, kids and their activities and experiences in nursing. She was attentive to our needs and was a great nurse. At the end of her shift on Friday, as she prepared to leave, she informed us that she would not return until the following week. Just prior to leaving, she did something that I did not expect and will never forget.
Audrey courageously stepped into a place with us that was vulnerable, broken, intimate and downright confusing. She did what so many feel inclined to do but avoid because they are not sure how to step into that place. She asked if she could pray for us. We were both surprised and quickly agreed. She did something that seems so simple, but I cannot articulate to you how her prayer has lingered with me. She prayed for us all the things that at the time we were incapable of asking for, understanding, or seeking. She prayed for peace and understanding of the significance of our child's life. She did for us what we couldn't even grasp doing for ourselves at an incredibly broken time. Eventually, we delivered our third baby boy.
Whenever I think of him, I remember his birth, think of his worth and meaning of his life. I often think of Audrey. She provided us with more than any service; she gave of herself to help us begin to heal.