My husband was airlifted from Wayne General to Anderson's to be admitted to ICU.  Jamie was his admitting nurse.  When she was off shift, she came to the waiting room, where I was to be given an update on his condition. In our conversation, I referred to him by his nickname.  The next time that we had Jamie as a nurse, my husband had been placed on the vent.  It meant so much to me and my children that even though she was on her way out the door that morning in the waiting room, she remembered his nickname in order to call him by that when checking his response levels while he was on the vent.  Most would not have even picked up on this nickname, and definitely not remembered it days later.  

In my position as assistant superintendent of schools in Wayne County, I am constantly reminding educators that in order to educate the student, sometimes we have to educate the parent as well.  I think this applies in the medical field as well. Sometimes in order to effectively treat the patient, you have to educate and "treat" the family of the patient.  Jamie did that for my family. 

We had limited experience with an ICU patient, a loved one going on the vent, coming off the vent, and all that is involved with the process.  Jamie was able to calm my nerves, help me understand what may or may not happen next, and help me understand various tests that were performed and the results therein.  While I understand that this is part of her job, I think what stood out the most to me was her demeanor through it all. She never made me feel that I was a bother by asking questions.  She never made me feel "dumb" for asking questions. She delivered all information with utmost professionalism while also remembering that this was my husband.  He was more than just another patient. 

I also remember one particular night I called for an update.  She was not available at the moment but later returned my call.  I believe my husband was her only patient that night. She told me that he was having a difficult night due to having withdrawals from the sedation medicines. She told me that she was planning to spend most of the night in the room with him until he went to sleep or was doing better.  This was so special to me.  I told her and the other nurses how much he disliked being alone.  To know that she remembered this and knew that he needed company during this difficult time made me so grateful to have chosen Anderson's for my husband's care.  Needless to say, she was also his favorite night nurse.  

After we brought my husband home on Comfort Care, she continued to check up on him.  When she heard that he had passed away, she reached out with condolences and words of sympathy.

Jamie is a huge asset to the ICU department. She is very passionate about her job and the care of her patients. She administers not only to the sick, but to the family as well. In my humble opinion, this makes her a perfect candidate for the DAISY Award.