Hannah Stevens
April 2021
Hannah
Stevens
,
RN
TNICU
Lehigh Valley Health Network
Allentown
,
PA
United States
No matter how crazy of a shift we had, Hannah always made sure to check in with me.
After finishing nursing school in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, I did not have the opportunity to be in an ICU as a student nurse. I was hired to TNICU and was thrilled but extremely intimidated because I wasn't sure I was ready, having no idea what it was really like. On my first day of work, I was paired with Hannah as my preceptor, and the minute I met her I felt a huge weight lift off of my shoulders. She was happy, encouraging, positive, and over the next four months, I learned how intelligent, quick-thinking she is, and how wonderful she is as a person and as a nurse.
Hannah is the perfect example of what it means to be a nurse. She taught me the medical aspect of the job including critical thinking skills, such as if your patient's neuro status has changed first you do an assessment, think about if there is anything like oxygenation that could be causing the change, and run through every scenario which may include looking at the big picture. I watched her countless times helping the rest of her team with turns, admissions, and covering for breaks, which was instilled in me because sometimes the only way to get through the shift is to lean on each other.
Although she kept me very busy in my shifts, she put an extra emphasis on nursing care such as making sure the patient's hair was brushed or beard was shaved, despite not having any visitors, because that is just as important as the other things we may be doing. No matter how crazy of a shift we had, Hannah always made sure to check in with me, educate me on any questions I would have even if it was a simple as how to turn on the suction. She also was the first to check on my own personal needs and would bring us both water to make sure we were taking care of ourselves. Overall, I was blessed to have such a wonderful person who embodies everything it means to be a nurse, as a mentor. Since I have been off orientation and assigned to another unit, she continues to be invested and checks in on me frequently, which shows just how amazing she is.
Hannah is the perfect example of what it means to be a nurse. She taught me the medical aspect of the job including critical thinking skills, such as if your patient's neuro status has changed first you do an assessment, think about if there is anything like oxygenation that could be causing the change, and run through every scenario which may include looking at the big picture. I watched her countless times helping the rest of her team with turns, admissions, and covering for breaks, which was instilled in me because sometimes the only way to get through the shift is to lean on each other.
Although she kept me very busy in my shifts, she put an extra emphasis on nursing care such as making sure the patient's hair was brushed or beard was shaved, despite not having any visitors, because that is just as important as the other things we may be doing. No matter how crazy of a shift we had, Hannah always made sure to check in with me, educate me on any questions I would have even if it was a simple as how to turn on the suction. She also was the first to check on my own personal needs and would bring us both water to make sure we were taking care of ourselves. Overall, I was blessed to have such a wonderful person who embodies everything it means to be a nurse, as a mentor. Since I have been off orientation and assigned to another unit, she continues to be invested and checks in on me frequently, which shows just how amazing she is.