Brittany Hollingsworth
October 2016
Brittany
Hollingsworth
,
BSN, RN
NICU
Carilion Clinic Roanoke Campus
Roanoke
,
VA
United States

 

 

 

The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit has many happy and rewarding stories. Some stories, however, are sad and tear at the heart. A mother who became extremely ill and suffered complications during labor and the birthing process had to be emergently delivered and sent to an adult ICU. This complication required heart surgery soon after delivery and this mother wanted to meet her child and hopefully get one chance to hold her baby. Brittany went out of her way to accommodate the CCU, the family, but most importantly that very ill mother. Brittany took this infant and placed them in the mother's arms and made sure that mother and baby met, bonded, and exchanged their love. The mother's condition is still dire; the baby may have no recollection of the moment but that mother fulfilled her wish to hold her newborn baby. The sacred bonding was able to happen. Brittany demonstrated the compassion and love that nurses have every day, but also the awareness to realize that she could make a fleeting moment be the greatest moment in someone's life. That is a true nurse.