Courtney Arey
May 2022
Courtney
Arey
,
RN
Emergency Department
Augusta Health
Fishersville
,
VA
United States
Courtney listened to me talk about this and comforted me.
I went to the Augusta Health Emergency Room because of a migraine that I had for days that wouldn't subside. I had been vomiting frequently and felt dehydrated. Courtney Arey was my nurse and I am so thankful for her! She was incredibly happy and friendly, even though I am confident I probably seemed miserable. She knew exactly how much to talk to make me feel comfortable, but she knew when to be quiet and let me relax as well. The doctor ordered medicines for me and I asked Courtney if I could receive the anti-nausea medicine first. She took the time to explain to me why she felt giving me medicine in a different order would make the most sense. She allowed me to make the ultimate decision though.
What she suggested was to start fluids first and then give me the medicines that had been ordered that weren't the anti-nausea medicine and to give me that medicine last. She informed me that the anti-nausea medication needed to be 'pushed' over the course of several minutes. She suggested I get the other medicines first so that they could work while she was slowly giving me the nausea medicine. While she was caring for me, she took the time to listen to my symptoms and comfort me.
My migraines are oftentimes caused by stress. To add a bit of a backstory, I was a witness to the Virginia Tech Massacre. I have been diagnosed with PTSD because of it. The day before I went to the Emergency Room, I woke up with a very bad migraine. That afternoon, there was a shooting at Bridgewater College. It triggered my PTSD symptoms and made my migraine worse because of the stress I was feeling and the memories I was reliving. Courtney listened to me talk about this and comforted me. She didn't pretend to know how I was feeling, but she sympathized with the way I felt. Augusta Health is so lucky to have a nurse like Courtney. She is incredibly friendly and upbeat. She knows when to talk and when to listen. She explains what she is doing and why she is doing it. After I received my medication, she turned the lights down in my room and just let me relax. She is truly an asset to Augusta Health!
What she suggested was to start fluids first and then give me the medicines that had been ordered that weren't the anti-nausea medicine and to give me that medicine last. She informed me that the anti-nausea medication needed to be 'pushed' over the course of several minutes. She suggested I get the other medicines first so that they could work while she was slowly giving me the nausea medicine. While she was caring for me, she took the time to listen to my symptoms and comfort me.
My migraines are oftentimes caused by stress. To add a bit of a backstory, I was a witness to the Virginia Tech Massacre. I have been diagnosed with PTSD because of it. The day before I went to the Emergency Room, I woke up with a very bad migraine. That afternoon, there was a shooting at Bridgewater College. It triggered my PTSD symptoms and made my migraine worse because of the stress I was feeling and the memories I was reliving. Courtney listened to me talk about this and comforted me. She didn't pretend to know how I was feeling, but she sympathized with the way I felt. Augusta Health is so lucky to have a nurse like Courtney. She is incredibly friendly and upbeat. She knows when to talk and when to listen. She explains what she is doing and why she is doing it. After I received my medication, she turned the lights down in my room and just let me relax. She is truly an asset to Augusta Health!