Brittany Ladner
June 2024
Brittany
Ladner
,
RN
Family Birth Center
Boulder Community Health
Boulder
,
CO
United States

 

 

 

My last memory before the anesthesia kicked in was Brittany squeezing my hand. This meant so much to me because I knew I wasn’t alone. Brittany didn’t make us feel like just another patient; she made us feel like her only patient.
Last July, I experienced a missed miscarriage after trying to conceive for a bit over a year and had to have a D&C procedure. I was terrified to have the procedure done and was heartbroken at the same time. As soon as we met Brittany, she showed me and my husband so much empathy and understood that this was an extremely difficult day for us. She answered all of our questions with such kindness and understanding, and it was clear she gave the extra effort to make us feel as comfortable as possible, frequently asking if there was anything she could do to make the day any easier, explaining what to expect, and even laughing with us. I am terrified of needles, so having the IV was extremely nerve-wracking and difficult for me. Not only was she technically amazing at putting the IV in, but she was also a comfort during the process, reminding me to breathe and talking me through it. She even noticed that I was having a hard time looking at the IV once it was in my wrist, so she got some gauze to put over it. She even went to bat for me, asking if I could get a shot that I needed while I was in the surgery instead of after the surgery so I wouldn’t have to worry about it. Before I was wheeled back to the surgery room, Brittany explained the room to me, what it would look like, and the process; she then held my hand the entire ride back. My last memory before the anesthesia kicked in was Brittany squeezing my hand. This meant so much to me because I knew I wasn’t alone. Brittany didn’t make us feel like just another patient; she made us feel like her only patient. She acknowledged and respected our emotions around the day and went the extra mile to make sure we had a good experience despite the circumstances. The respect and kindness she showed us that day will always be our standard of how we hope to be treated in any other medical environment.

Note: This is Brittany's 2nd DAISY Award!