Kirston Jewell
September 2023
Kirston
Jewell
,
BSN, RN, RNC-OB
Labor & Delivery
Ascension St. Vincent Evansville
Evansville
,
IN
United States
She was supportive of whatever decisions I wanted and was the ultimate patient advocate.
I have spent the last 4 weeks trying to get my words right to express my gratitude, appreciation, and praise for Kirston. I was a little nervous about who my L&D nurse would be after hearing about the high turnover and high number of young, new grads. When Kirston walked into my room, I knew I was going to have a great nurse.
She spent an entire hour educating me about pain management, birth plans, and general birthing tips (even though this was my 2nd baby). Except for when she got an emergency call from the hallway (to kill a cockroach). And then she immediately came back and picked up where she left off and apologized for leaving for something that wasn't an emergency. Kirston was prepped and ready in advance for any complications after knowing my history with my first delivery. I felt at ease and comfortable knowing that if I were to have another complication, she would be calm and confident to take care of the baby and me.
She was supportive of whatever decisions I wanted and was the ultimate patient advocate. I seriously don't think I have ever met a nurse anywhere who advocates better for their patients. She is not afraid to stand up to a doctor in order to make sure her patients' wishes are met. She informed me of my options and helped me make decisions (like refusing a foley that would be in for less than 20 minutes to reduce the minor risks of infection). When my doctor arrived, another nurse walked into the room, and I almost froze up because Kirston wasn't there. She ran in a few minutes later after shoving a banana and an orange in her mouth during her break that lasted 5 minutes because I was ready to push. I instantly felt at ease and relieved when I saw her come in. She also suggested after about 5 minutes of pushing to change positions and asked me if I would be willing to push in that position, and essentially told the doctor that we were switching it up. Her suggestions were effective because I was able to effectively push and deliver my baby.
Kirston's level of knowledge and best practices are evident. I had prepped and planned as much information as I could as a patient who has not had the specialization and education of an L&D nurse. I have followed every Instagram account, read articles and books, and listened to podcasts. Kirston is like all of these wrapped up into one. I wish she were around for my first birth when I was considering an unmedicated birth. I know Kriston would have been able to get me through it and would have stayed with me to do whatever she could to make a birth plan happen. This time around, an epidural was part of my plan, and she was supportive of that as well and spoke to the anesthesiologist for me to ensure my epidural was light so that I could still feel and move my legs.
If Kirston ever becomes a doula or a midwife, I would not hesitate to hire her if I choose to have another baby. I have met a lot of great nurses, but Kirston goes above and beyond as one who stands out as exceptional. Ascension St. Vincent Evansville is lucky to have her, and I would give her every award if I could!
She spent an entire hour educating me about pain management, birth plans, and general birthing tips (even though this was my 2nd baby). Except for when she got an emergency call from the hallway (to kill a cockroach). And then she immediately came back and picked up where she left off and apologized for leaving for something that wasn't an emergency. Kirston was prepped and ready in advance for any complications after knowing my history with my first delivery. I felt at ease and comfortable knowing that if I were to have another complication, she would be calm and confident to take care of the baby and me.
She was supportive of whatever decisions I wanted and was the ultimate patient advocate. I seriously don't think I have ever met a nurse anywhere who advocates better for their patients. She is not afraid to stand up to a doctor in order to make sure her patients' wishes are met. She informed me of my options and helped me make decisions (like refusing a foley that would be in for less than 20 minutes to reduce the minor risks of infection). When my doctor arrived, another nurse walked into the room, and I almost froze up because Kirston wasn't there. She ran in a few minutes later after shoving a banana and an orange in her mouth during her break that lasted 5 minutes because I was ready to push. I instantly felt at ease and relieved when I saw her come in. She also suggested after about 5 minutes of pushing to change positions and asked me if I would be willing to push in that position, and essentially told the doctor that we were switching it up. Her suggestions were effective because I was able to effectively push and deliver my baby.
Kirston's level of knowledge and best practices are evident. I had prepped and planned as much information as I could as a patient who has not had the specialization and education of an L&D nurse. I have followed every Instagram account, read articles and books, and listened to podcasts. Kirston is like all of these wrapped up into one. I wish she were around for my first birth when I was considering an unmedicated birth. I know Kriston would have been able to get me through it and would have stayed with me to do whatever she could to make a birth plan happen. This time around, an epidural was part of my plan, and she was supportive of that as well and spoke to the anesthesiologist for me to ensure my epidural was light so that I could still feel and move my legs.
If Kirston ever becomes a doula or a midwife, I would not hesitate to hire her if I choose to have another baby. I have met a lot of great nurses, but Kirston goes above and beyond as one who stands out as exceptional. Ascension St. Vincent Evansville is lucky to have her, and I would give her every award if I could!