Beth
Ehrhardt
June 2011
Beth
Ehrhardt
,
MSN, APRN-NP, RNC
NICU
Children's Hospital & Medical Center - Omaha
Omaha
,
NE
United States

 

 

 

“The attached story is just one example of how Beth provides exceptional care – in our unit and outside the facility. She is the epitome of compassion and professionalism. I am so lucky to have Beth as a mentor and co-worker:

Dear NICU Staff:

I want to send a special thanks to several of your team who were tremendously helpful in a difficult situation last week in Columbus.

A family from our church, had a baby boy on Thursday, but there was trouble in the delivery and the baby was in critical condition from the start. The plan was to transport him to Children’s.

Beth, and two others arrived and began to prepare him for transport. However, by then it was becoming evident that there was little hope for this baby. The dad faced the decision of whether to send him on to Omaha or to keep him in Columbus and take him off the respirator. His wife had been taken into surgery due to problems with the placenta, leaving the dad to make the decision on his own.

Your team did an exceptional job through this – both in their medical competency and in their compassion and concern for the family. Beth met privately with the dad to give him a complete summary of the situation and the possible outcomes. She answered his questions and clarified the issues. She even gave him the option that if he decided to send the baby with them to Omaha – but then changed his mind while they were still in route – that they would turn around and come back to Columbus. That greatly eased his mind to know he had that option. She did this with gentleness and consideration of the stress he was under.

In the end he decided to keep the baby in Columbus. Later that night the respirator was removed and the baby died a short while later.

Your team deserves much credit for handling an extremely difficult situation with skill, efficiency and compassion. Our thanks to them for their invaluable help!.”