Hannah Humphreys
November 2023
Hannah
Humphreys
,
BSN, RN
PCU
Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans' Hospital
Columbia
,
MO
United States

 

 

 

Hannah sat with us and talked and calmed us down, after all this was R's life.
Hannah took charge the first time she came into R's room. She introduced herself and looked at us both right in our eyes. She asked questions and seemed like she really wanted to know how we felt. We were nervous, scared, and worried to death about R’s condition. This was the closest to death R had ever been.

If we had been discharged 10 minutes earlier, he would have died in the car going home. The nurse explained how all the doctors had a job- pulmonary, cardio team, the medicine docs, the hospitalist, Pharmacy, RT, and many more, plus all the nurses. She listened, answered questions held our hands and gave hugs too.

When the life vest came Friday night another unknown, the nurse flew through all of it, and R was scared. The nurse from Zoll came late Friday, and we were tired, and she talked fast, “If you have questions, call the Zoll number.” Hannah sat with us and talked and calmed us down, after all this was R's life. The next day, we started reading the book about life vest. Hannah said to take one day at a time. Everything was a rush, rush, rush in the hospital and we were mentally drained and not sure if we could handle the vest even knowing we had to for R's well-being.

She's 80 and I am 75; the nurse explained the most, she eased our minds from the panic with her mannerisms and sweet calming voice never rushing away from us. She sent notes to the doctor Sunday when he wanted R to join me at the Fisher house and be discharged from the hospital. She was our advocate and helped. Everything about this nurse exemplifies what a great nurse is, does, and keeps her composure in our time of need. God bless her.