Jamie Bernaudo
August 2019
Jamie
Bernaudo
,
RN
Surgical ICU
Northwell Health - North Shore University Hospital
Manhasset
,
NY
United States
I am eternally grateful to all of the wonderful staff who took care of my uncle for the last three and a half weeks. Every single person who cared for him was exceptional. We often found a kind member of the environmental team with him before the family arrived in the morning, one nurse, in particular, was beyond special. Jamie treated us all like family. She also expressed to us that she was so happy that she could be with us as our uncle took his last breath. I am so proud to be a part of the Northwell family and will always remember the amazing people we encountered during this touch time.
Nurse Jamie, thank you for all you did, you are truly made for this! There is nothing scarier than hearing of a loved one being rushed to the hospital. It becomes a place of fear and potentially somewhere you will remember losing someone that meant the world to you. Unless you are in the medical field, you have no idea what to expect. You are left helpless, wanting to do everything you can to save someone you love, but knowing you simply must leave the care to someone else that you just met.
***
We walked into North Shore thinking my grandpa had gas pains. Little did we know he had something he was lucky to even make it to the hospital with. Regardless, we demanded the ambulance take him to North Shore, something that was met with opposition. This was the first right decision made. Hours later my grandpa emerged from surgery to fix a Triple-A, something that we didn't even realize was as unlikely as it was.
The next morning, we rushed to the hospital to find out there were complications post-surgery. The entire family came, we said our goodbyes and he received Last Rites. However, my grandpa wasn't ready to leave yet.
Jamie was my grandpa's first nurse. My grandpa ended up fighting for three additional weeks, and in the process, she truly became one with the family. In the most devastating of times, she helped keep our spirits up and understand what was going on to the best of her abilities. Her bubbly personality made it hard for us to stay melancholy. While we were obviously upset with what was happening to someone that meant so much to us, we knew he was in great hands with her. She talked to him like he was her own grandfather. She'd brush his hair and tell us how handsome he looked. She'd talk to us and let us get to know her a bit too. She honestly became one of us, and every person that met her had nothing but great things to say. She became a very popular topic of conversation amongst the family.
When Jamie went away, she came back and visited him on a day off. We could tell he meant something to her and that our family meant something as well. In addition, she has a great way of explaining things to people who obviously aren't too familiar with what may be going on. She never rejected a question or left us wondering what something meant. She was always around to talk, whether that be medical or casual.
Of course, Jamie's attention to detail in the room was top notch. She kept things neat and organized, just the way my grandpa would have wanted it. We never had to run looking for her if a drip were running out or something of that nature because she was always completely on top of things.
My grandma passed away in a hospital 25 years ago. Our experience with that couldn't have been worse. A mistake by a doctor ended her life all too soon. In the wake of that, our family is scarred by hospitals. We may not have shown it, but we were terrified when my grandpa entered North Shore.
Even though my grandpa is no longer with us, we all have nothing but good things to say about North Shore, and especially Jamie. The fear we had has been repaired and we know my grandpa got the utmost care he could have gotten. He is now in a better place, reunited with my grandma.
I wish my grandpa could have gotten to meet Jamie. After three weeks of knowing her, we all know that he would have absolutely adored her. We thank her from the bottom of our hearts. This award would be a small sign of gratitude from me, our family and especially my grandpa.
You all did everything you could to help my grandpa. He is now in a better place, but in the process, we met some amazing people and had our faith in hospitals restored. For that, we say thanks.
Nurse Jamie, thank you for all you did, you are truly made for this! There is nothing scarier than hearing of a loved one being rushed to the hospital. It becomes a place of fear and potentially somewhere you will remember losing someone that meant the world to you. Unless you are in the medical field, you have no idea what to expect. You are left helpless, wanting to do everything you can to save someone you love, but knowing you simply must leave the care to someone else that you just met.
***
We walked into North Shore thinking my grandpa had gas pains. Little did we know he had something he was lucky to even make it to the hospital with. Regardless, we demanded the ambulance take him to North Shore, something that was met with opposition. This was the first right decision made. Hours later my grandpa emerged from surgery to fix a Triple-A, something that we didn't even realize was as unlikely as it was.
The next morning, we rushed to the hospital to find out there were complications post-surgery. The entire family came, we said our goodbyes and he received Last Rites. However, my grandpa wasn't ready to leave yet.
Jamie was my grandpa's first nurse. My grandpa ended up fighting for three additional weeks, and in the process, she truly became one with the family. In the most devastating of times, she helped keep our spirits up and understand what was going on to the best of her abilities. Her bubbly personality made it hard for us to stay melancholy. While we were obviously upset with what was happening to someone that meant so much to us, we knew he was in great hands with her. She talked to him like he was her own grandfather. She'd brush his hair and tell us how handsome he looked. She'd talk to us and let us get to know her a bit too. She honestly became one of us, and every person that met her had nothing but great things to say. She became a very popular topic of conversation amongst the family.
When Jamie went away, she came back and visited him on a day off. We could tell he meant something to her and that our family meant something as well. In addition, she has a great way of explaining things to people who obviously aren't too familiar with what may be going on. She never rejected a question or left us wondering what something meant. She was always around to talk, whether that be medical or casual.
Of course, Jamie's attention to detail in the room was top notch. She kept things neat and organized, just the way my grandpa would have wanted it. We never had to run looking for her if a drip were running out or something of that nature because she was always completely on top of things.
My grandma passed away in a hospital 25 years ago. Our experience with that couldn't have been worse. A mistake by a doctor ended her life all too soon. In the wake of that, our family is scarred by hospitals. We may not have shown it, but we were terrified when my grandpa entered North Shore.
Even though my grandpa is no longer with us, we all have nothing but good things to say about North Shore, and especially Jamie. The fear we had has been repaired and we know my grandpa got the utmost care he could have gotten. He is now in a better place, reunited with my grandma.
I wish my grandpa could have gotten to meet Jamie. After three weeks of knowing her, we all know that he would have absolutely adored her. We thank her from the bottom of our hearts. This award would be a small sign of gratitude from me, our family and especially my grandpa.
You all did everything you could to help my grandpa. He is now in a better place, but in the process, we met some amazing people and had our faith in hospitals restored. For that, we say thanks.