It has been over two months since I have wanted to send this recognition for excellence for this staff: however, our story didn't end as we wanted it to. We have gone through a funeral, Thanksgiving and Christmas, and as I continue to miss my mother in law every moment, I also have felt a strong desire to ensure that I formally thank and bring notice to staff that beyond exceeded expectations. W was brought by helicopter to the Critical Care Unit, she was sedated and unresponsive at that point.
Sheila was W's nurse for 2 shifts and she was who handled most of our hard questions, ensured we had the support we needed, and allowed us to make informed decisions in our own time. She made us feel like we were her only patients when she was taking care of W and I know that was not the case. She was direct with us, when we asked her to be direct. She repeated horrible news for us to other family, when we were too emotional to talk. She listened to us grieve and provided comfort in the darkest place of our lives. Sheila saw that the women in the family were putting lotion on W and wanting her warm and saw that it would be therapeutic to allow us to help with a part of freshening her up. She heard my concerns with talking to my children (even though I am a social worker myself), and gave us information and contacted the child life specialist for us. I can't even list all the ways she provided comfort to the whole family (all while making W's care her number one priority). We didn't leave the room much during our 2 days there, and it was clear she was not only knowledgeable, but the level of care and compassion was above and beyond the call of duty for even a good RN, she was exceptional.