Cristina Best is an asset to any team. We are so fortunate on Labor and Delivery to have her. Her diverse clinical expertise is valued and she has a wealth of knowledge. With this she is always assisting and educating, patients, new staff, and experienced staff members. One of the most valued attributes that Cris has is that she is a certified medical interpreter. This has been so valuable lately as we have had two patients who using the translation service would not have been enough.
One of the hardest parts of our job on Labor and Delivery is dealing with perinatal loss and bereavement. With these cases it affects you, but your care will always be remembered by the grieving family. This past month we had a patient arrive that did not speak English. It was quickly discovered that the baby was in distress and the patient was taken to the OR and the baby was born within minutes. However, the baby was unable to be resuscitated. Due to the nature of the emergency C-section the patient was placed under general anesthesia and was not awake for the birth, nor was the father present in the room.
Cris was assigned this patient and when she came in to the chaos she was able to be calm and provide comfort. Her presence when the doctor explained everything to the patient and her husband was valued by the family and made the difficult discussion easier. She brought a little bit of home to these patients speaking their native tongue and provided them the comfort that a friend would be able to offer in a terrible situation. She helped get the foot prints, bracelets, pictures, and mementos for the patient for the memory box.
She stayed well over her shift to make sure the patient was comfortable and understood all procedures as she required a blood transfusion. Cris went above and beyond for this patient and their family. The patient and her husband expressed their highest gratitude for the compassion and world class care that Cris provided.
Last weekend Cris had to use her translation and comfort skills again. Unfortunately the patient also had a fetal loss and did not speak any English. Cris was assigned this patient and using her clinical expertise and expert compassionate care, she was able to intervene and help the patient deliver her way.
She made the patient comfortable and assisted the family. Cris also made the mementos for the patient. Dr. F, one of the OB hospitalists, expressed the highest praise for the care that Cris provided. She was so grateful for Cris and her amazing bedside manner, clinical expertise, medical interpretation, and compassion for the family. Cris also stayed well over her shift to assure this patient was comfortable.
Cris is a true asset to our unit, especially in times like these. Using a medical interpreter in these two situations was especially valuable. This is because compassion and comfort can be lost in translation - especially on the telephone. Cristina Best, RN is a world class caregiver in any situation; she is the first to respond and the last to leave.