Gabrielle Bly
March 2021
Gabrielle
Bly
,
RN
Med/Surg
ProMedica Flower Hospital
Sylvania
,
OH

 

 

 

Gabrielle touched our hearts on such a profound level, it is difficult to put into words how grateful we are to her and blessed that she was Dad's nurse.
I hardly know where to begin to describe this incredible nurse that took such great care of our Dad and made sure he got everything and anything he needed. We all agreed that Gabrielle should be nominated for this award. It was her exceptional care that allowed us to be at his bedside leading up to his death. Dad always said his family was the most important thing in the world to him, so it was very important for him and for us to be able to be with him as he took his final journey.
Not only was Dad non-ambulatory, but he was also so weak he couldn't even roll from side to side. He wasn't in Gabrielle's care but a few hours when she had a new air-type of bed brought in for him. She supervised every step of the lift process and directed staff on exactly where to put what so Dad wouldn't feel any pain.
Her compassion is beyond comparison. There is something very special about the way she communicates with patients. Dad always felt like he was in good hands with her. She called him by a name which has never been a nickname of his, and Dad wasn't shy about correcting people who didn't know him well. Dad didn't mind when she called him by the nickname and neither did we. We could see Dad and Gabrielle shared a bond of their own. He trusted her. He felt safe with her. He calmed down whenever she came into his room.
Gabrielle was attentive beyond belief. Dad had prostate cancer and required continuous bladder irrigation. This required hourly changes of irrigation bags. She must have set her watch because she always appeared in his room just before the change was needed. You see, she understood that a back-up of fluid could be painful for Dad and she made sure he didn't suffer any pain.
At 3:45 pm each afternoon the sunlight would stream into his hospital room. Even the blinds couldn't prevent the sun from blinding him as he lay, unable to move, in his hospital bed. He wasn't ambulatory so there was nothing he could do about it. Gabrielle searched high and low for something, anything she could put up at the window to block the sun.
She had coffee and muffins brought up to Dad's room for us since we kept vigil day and night. She was always asking if there was anything we needed. Of course, there wasn't, but she would always ask anyway and say, "If you think of anything, just let me know." She touched our hearts on such a profound level, it is difficult to put into words how grateful we are to her and blessed that she was Dad's nurse. These are just a few examples of how she went above and beyond her official job duties. Nursing isn't just a job to her. Nursing is a calling for Gabrielle.I can honestly say that her attentiveness rivals that of a mother's love. If RN's could have letters after their names, hers would be "GA" for "Guardian Angel." What a gem you have working for you.