Ashley Marsh
April 2014
Ashley
Marsh
,
RN
Emergency Department
Petaluma Valley Hospital
Santa Rosa
,
CA
United States

 

 

 

Compassion is something that Ashley effortlessly gives to her patients daily as well as her co-workers.

We recently had a patient come in full cardiac arrest. He was 51 and was leaving behind his wife and four boys after suffering a sudden heart attack.

When I was 15, my parents passed in a car accident. The ages of these boys were similar to those of my siblings and my age. As the children learned of their father's passing, it was extremely challenging to not reflect on how I felt learning of my parent's death.

Ashley was working this shift with me. She was not only at the bedside for the family offering every ounce of her soul to comfort them, but present for me as well. She offered them genuine touch, prayer, a Chaplin, beverages and a presence that was open and comfortable to these people who were strangers just minutes ago. Not only did she give all of this to this family, she encouraged me to pull from deep places to find the right words and comfort to give to this family as well. Ashley checked with me often to see if I was okay. It was her compassion that gave me the strength I needed to help this broken hearted family.

Together, as a team, I feel that we gave this family all that we had. Ashley is a wonderful nurse and co-worker. Compassion isn't only for our patients, but for our fellow co-workers as well. She has it all!