My 85-year-old mother had a heart attack and was rushed to the ER. After a few hours, it was obvious that she would need to be admitted. I am my mom's caregiver and was so overwhelmed by this unexpected medical issue (it was a stress related heart attack). The ER visit was more confusing than anything, and by the time they admitted my mom, I was scared, alone, and unsure if my mom would survive the night. That day ranked among one of the worst of my life, and then came Emmie.

Emmie started out by walking mom and I through everything that had already happened and what we could expect next. Despite an overwhelmingly (to me) busy time at the hospital, Emmie made sure we understood everything. She literally took the time to ask us how we best received information — she was confirming our learning style so she could help us process the large amount of information we were being presented with most effectively. All this while providing comfort to both of us, working with a student nurse, and answering my endless questions at every turn.

What Emmie didn't know was that not only was my mom sick, but I had recently been placed on medical leave for extreme stress. I came into the hospital already stretched to my limit and was not sure how I was going to take care of my mom. I will summarize my experience by saying I was on day 22 of stress-related leave, and that day turned out to be less stressful on me than any other day of the month. Literally, I wear an OURA ring and the 12 hours after I met Emmie showed 30 minutes of stress. 

Emmie didn't just see mom as a patient, and me as the caregiver. She truly saw us as the unique and scared individuals that we were, and her calm, professional, and extremely kind way of helping us made all the difference in the world. 

To say Emmie is an amazing nurse leaves out a great deal. Surrounded by caring people doing amazing work in the service of others, Emmie stands out not just for what she is (an amazing nurse) but WHO she is to the patients and families she works with.