May 2019
Elizabeth
Hammond
,
BSN, RN
Labor and Delivery
Aurora West Allis Medical Center
West Allis
,
WI
United States

 

 

 

I was admitted to L&D for induction for various reasons on the Friday before a holiday weekend. I could tell the unit was short-staffed with the holiday weekend. I spent an uneventful night on Friday with very little interaction with my RNs but Saturday is when my labor was truly induced. We knew from the moment Liz walked through the door that she was experienced in her field and I would be in wonderful and capable hands. Liz was amazing to me, my husband, and all our family. She anticipated my questions before I even asked them and proactively explained everything to me. Her responsiveness to my needs was extraordinary. I had some minor hiccups with the epidural wearing off and before I could even finish expressing my concerns Liz was calling Anesthesia to get them in the room to assess it. My labor was only 8 hours but Liz had us laughing throughout the entire thing so it honestly felt like it flew by. She knew all the tricks to help get me dilated further and before we knew it, it was time to push. Thanks to Liz cheering skills, our little man was out in only 7 contractions totaling 14 minutes of pushing. After all of the poking, prodding, and bearing my all it's hard to feel as if I had any dignity left but I felt as though I had lost none at all thanks to Liz. There are a million other things Liz did but I can't remember them all (no one told me that pregnancy brain doesn't go away after). Most nurses have a few days to leave a lasting impression on their patients and Liz had barely 12 hours. I can still feel the impact she made nearly 5 months later. Liz not only helped me achieve my goal of having a vaginal delivery with minimal tearing but she helped me safely deliver my beautiful, healthy baby boy thanks to her expertise and swift problem-solving. My husband and I are forever grateful to her. Liz, from one nurse to another, I was honored to be your patient. Thank you for everything you do, Liz.