February 2025
Yuri
Brinkman
,
RN
Wound Care
A.T. Augusta Military Medical Center
Fort Belvoir
,
VA
United States

 

 

 

She was a source of comfort and strength for me and my husband for the many hours we were there.
My very active, independent 88-year-old mother-in-law was in ATAMMC two times after a fall, which resulted in a broken hip. She was operated on at the hospital and, unfortunately, had uncontrolled, excruciating nerve pain post-op. She was discharged for rehab, and within 4 days of entering rehab, she developed pressure wounds on her sacrum and heel due to extremely poor care and no mobility. We had her discharged, and she was readmitted to ATAMMC with extreme pain related to the ulcers. Watching someone independent and full of life become suddenly immobile and in pain was excruciating for all of us. Yuri came to see my mother-in-law when she was readmitted, and it's hard to explain what she provided. Her skilled assessment and care were like no other we had seen. She developed a plan of care to treat her ulcers and instilled confidence in all of us that she could and would heal. But even more than her professional care was the care, concern, humor, respect, and compassion that she shared with my mother-in-law and all of us. She was a source of comfort and strength for me and my husband for the many hours we were there. When my mother-in-law was discharged and admitted again, Yuri was there within hours of her admission, assessing her wounds again and again and providing a plan of care with her calm, assured manner. As a nurse myself, I have a keen understanding of what a difficult, demanding job it can be. Interacting with someone like Yuri, who so clearly loves caring for her patients, restored my faith in this profession. Unfortunately, my mother-in-law recently passed away, but we will forever be grateful for the smiles Yuri brought to her in those last days.