Barnard 5 at Morton Plant Hospital
July 2022
Barnard 5
at Morton Plant Hospital
BayCare Health System
Clearwater
,
FL
United States
Jennifer Ransford MSN, RN, NE-BC
Melanie Stalbird DNP, PCCN, A-GNP
Logan Johnson MSN ,RN Director of Patient Care Services
Juliana Troka MSN, RN, PCCN, SCRN
Melanie Martin Medical Assistant
Lorraine Laguardia RN
Suzana Demiri RN
Hannah Mack RN, PCL
Nicole Miele CNR
Leah Leahy RN
Amy Eichinger RN
Shanna Skaggs PST
Sauda Mboya PST
Ashley Matney PST
Nykheria Hamm PCT
Meghan Jennings RN
Deshon Berkel RN

 

 

 

When we are sick, we expect our nurses to excel in taking care of our physical needs, but often it is the compassion a nurse demonstrates that leaves an indelible mark on our lives. Those nurses who see patients as the individuals they are with fears, hopes, regrets, and dreams are the ones patients remember forever, especially when they agree to plan your wedding.

Recently, there was a patient that was admitted. He expressed that his future was uncertain, and he was grappling with the fear of death. Lying in a hospital room for several days, he thought a lot about his life and his priorities. He came to the realization that relationships were most important, and his most important relationship was with his longtime girlfriend. This patient asked the nurse manager during rounds if she could help him marry his longtime girlfriend. He stated, "I should've done it 10 years ago." He felt that he wanted to do it here at MPH due to the care and compassion he has received during this difficult time.

The Barnard 5 Team rallied. They coordinated with a notary, pastoral care, senior leadership, and this couple to coordinate a wedding in the hospital chapel. Barnard 5 team members, Mel Martin, Hannah Mack, Katrina Somers, Jessica Leer, and Melanie Stalbird rallied to make this event happen with the guidance of Logan Johnson, Director of Nursing. This was an excellent display of the BayCare and DAISY values in action. Planning a wedding is not a request our nurses receive every day, but the team couldn’t let this special couple down. They quickly went into action to ensure they could give the couple a memorable day. They reserved the chapel, bought a cake, decorated for a mini reception, and helped secure the marriage license. The couple brought recordings of their favorite songs, exchanged vows they had written to each other, enjoyed the special reception our Barnard 5 team planned, and, most importantly, shared this special day with our team who showed them care and compassion far beyond what they imagined when they came to Morton Plant Hospital.