Laura Brewer
September 2019
Laura
Brewer
,
RN
NICU
Nationwide Children's Hospital
Columbus
,
OH
United States
B transferred to the C4A NICU from Los Angeles soon after his first birthday, having already spent the first year of his life in the NICU in a critical state. B's parents were told there were not any more options to keep B alive while he was in California, and decided to uproot their lives to bring their son to NCH in the hopes of the BPD program saving him. Laura was one of B's first nurses, and she quickly established a rapport with the parents, both of whom were struggling emotionally and mentally with the traumatic first year of their son's life as well as dealing with the strain of leaving their entire support system across the country.
B was an extremely challenging patient, as he required constant, intensive care during periods of agitation that at times lasted a full shift. B did not smile, was not calm while awake, and did not play during his first year at NCH. Despite the multitude of challenges, Laura was somehow able to remain not only an exemplary nurse with high-level critical thinking skills, but also became a beacon of hope, positivity, and connection to the outside world for B's parents. Laura listened to B's parents just as attentively as she assessed her patients. She has the gift of humor and was able to weave this into her daily care with B and his family. After his first year on C4A, Laura wrote a rap song for the family which dad performed and recorded for B to listen to when he had to return to LA. Some of B's first smiles were when he listened to the recorded rap song. Laura helped to facilitate "theme parties" for B and his family for milestones and holidays, advocated for him every day, and maintained an astounding level of professionalism during even the most challenging and potentially emotional interactions. Prior to B leaving, Laura wrote one last rap song for B, commemorating his time at NCH and all of the progress he made. Along with B's dad, and the rest of the team, Laura recorded a rap video to celebrate the victory of discharge home, which was 3 years from B's due date. The humanity, humor, and unity that performance created is something that makes us all smile on a daily basis.
Laura's impact on nursing care and compassion is clear and always present now on C4A as nurses have learned from her that highly skilled nursing with chronic, long-term patients and families also includes therapeutic relationships, deep empathy, and sometimes a sense of humor. Laura is a true DAISY Nurse.
B was an extremely challenging patient, as he required constant, intensive care during periods of agitation that at times lasted a full shift. B did not smile, was not calm while awake, and did not play during his first year at NCH. Despite the multitude of challenges, Laura was somehow able to remain not only an exemplary nurse with high-level critical thinking skills, but also became a beacon of hope, positivity, and connection to the outside world for B's parents. Laura listened to B's parents just as attentively as she assessed her patients. She has the gift of humor and was able to weave this into her daily care with B and his family. After his first year on C4A, Laura wrote a rap song for the family which dad performed and recorded for B to listen to when he had to return to LA. Some of B's first smiles were when he listened to the recorded rap song. Laura helped to facilitate "theme parties" for B and his family for milestones and holidays, advocated for him every day, and maintained an astounding level of professionalism during even the most challenging and potentially emotional interactions. Prior to B leaving, Laura wrote one last rap song for B, commemorating his time at NCH and all of the progress he made. Along with B's dad, and the rest of the team, Laura recorded a rap video to celebrate the victory of discharge home, which was 3 years from B's due date. The humanity, humor, and unity that performance created is something that makes us all smile on a daily basis.
Laura's impact on nursing care and compassion is clear and always present now on C4A as nurses have learned from her that highly skilled nursing with chronic, long-term patients and families also includes therapeutic relationships, deep empathy, and sometimes a sense of humor. Laura is a true DAISY Nurse.