Sarah Back
April 2025
Sarah
Back
,
RN
Med Surg
Baylor Scott and White Medical Center - Marble Falls
Marble Falls
,
TX
United States
She used exaggerated facial expressions, smiled as big as she could every time she stood by his bedside, and talked to him with such dignity and patience; it was something quite special to observe.
I am not even sure where to begin! I suppose I will start by saying that Baylor Scott and White has a total gem of a human and an extraordinary nurse on their staff. My family and I could not have been more impressed with her. My father was admitted following a fall where immediate surgery was performed to repair a hip fracture. Although the surgery was successful, he fell into a post-op state of delirium that left him confused, delusional, agitated, and even quite aggressive at times; he was often a challenge for the nursing staff to care for. We experienced our share of nurses who appeared overwhelmed, stressed, and lacked the patience that was needed, but the day Sarah was assigned to my father, we were in awe!
She walked into my father’s room, and we could instantly feel her confidence. She took command of the room, and as the day went on, the entire energy of that hospital room changed. My father’s agitation was minimal; the tension in the air dissipated, and we could, for the first time, let down our guard a bit. We watched her throughout her shift engage with my father in such a compassionate way.
She used exaggerated facial expressions, smiled as big as she could every time she stood by his bedside, and talked to him with such dignity and patience; it was something quite special to observe. My sister and I kept saying. “can you imagine if we could clone her and fill the entire world with nurses just like her?” She is a difference-maker, no doubt!
We ultimately witnessed something else that we will never forget. Sarah was not his assigned nurse that day; she simply stopped by to say “hi.” My father had not shown much cognition, and it was becoming clear that his condition was indeed a permanent one. She walked to the end of his bed and began speaking to him with her usual animated facial expressions and cheerful tone of voice. He reacted to her in a way that we hadn’t seen in a long time. And in a way, he hadn’t even reacted to his own daughters!
My first thought is that she should be in a training role, where she can pass on her knowledge to others. But the more I think about it, I often wonder if what makes Sarah so special can even be taught. It may be only God-given! Baylor Scott and White is so blessed to have her!
She walked into my father’s room, and we could instantly feel her confidence. She took command of the room, and as the day went on, the entire energy of that hospital room changed. My father’s agitation was minimal; the tension in the air dissipated, and we could, for the first time, let down our guard a bit. We watched her throughout her shift engage with my father in such a compassionate way.
She used exaggerated facial expressions, smiled as big as she could every time she stood by his bedside, and talked to him with such dignity and patience; it was something quite special to observe. My sister and I kept saying. “can you imagine if we could clone her and fill the entire world with nurses just like her?” She is a difference-maker, no doubt!
We ultimately witnessed something else that we will never forget. Sarah was not his assigned nurse that day; she simply stopped by to say “hi.” My father had not shown much cognition, and it was becoming clear that his condition was indeed a permanent one. She walked to the end of his bed and began speaking to him with her usual animated facial expressions and cheerful tone of voice. He reacted to her in a way that we hadn’t seen in a long time. And in a way, he hadn’t even reacted to his own daughters!
My first thought is that she should be in a training role, where she can pass on her knowledge to others. But the more I think about it, I often wonder if what makes Sarah so special can even be taught. It may be only God-given! Baylor Scott and White is so blessed to have her!