August 2013
Jenny
Ash
,
MSN, BSN, RN
Mother/Baby Unit
Cheyenne Regional Medical Center
Cheyenne
,
WY
United States

 

 

 

I had been suffering from excruciating back pain for weeks. I was prescribed a muscle relaxer to treat a spasm, but there was no relief. It got to the point where I wasn't sleeping and could not get comfortable at any point in the day. As an active duty military member, I called my emergency care line and they deemed it necessary to take an ambulance to be seen right away. That is when Jenny came into my life.

By just doing the normal checks, everything appeared fine and I was ready to be sent home. Jenny could see how much pain I was in and knew that I would be going home alone to deal with the pain, so she suggested I stay in an open room for the night and when one of the doctors comes in she will have them see me. So I did. And when I was seen by a doctor, they found that I was 80% effaced and having strong contractions so I was immediately put on Magnesium and stayed the weekend.

Jenny was my nurse each night I stayed in the hospital. She was beyond amazing with the attention I received from her and her professionalism during her duties. When she had time between all of her tasks throughout her shift, she would come into my room to massage my belly and feet, help me clean myself up, helped me feel like I was not all alone any more, as well as gave me further information as to what was going on and answering all of my questions. I was immediately comforted by her when doing uncomfortable procedures such as the catheter or having my cervix checked and trusted her input.

She stayed past her shift that Monday morning to put me on the helicopter to the University Colorado hospital in Denver. She went above and beyond her duties that entire weekend to take care of me and even offered to come to Denver to do a one-on-one childbirth class with me; however, I delivered my baby between 34 and 35 weeks in Denver so we were unable to do so. My sweet baby passed away shortly after birth and I can't help but think if Jenny hadn't offered me that room on my first night and I was sent home yet again with back pain, my daughter would have been born much earlier and I would have had a much more traumatic experience than I already had by losing her unexpectedly.

She is by far the best and most inspiring nurse I have ever encountered and when I spent the duration of my pregnancy in the hospital in Denver, I quickly realized that I may have been spoiled by the best.