August 2021
Stacie
Anderson
,
BSN, RN
Unit 3-1600 Birthing Center
University of Rochester Medical Center- Strong Memorial Hospital
Rochester
,
NY
United States

 

 

 

As my nurse, she coached me through each contraction, turning into my focal point. Without it being said, I'm certain that Stacie advocated for us.
I am recognizing Stacie for her care to me as a patient and also her role as a preceptor. We were admitted due to PPROM. Stacie and her orientee were our day nurses. Being hospitalized at 33 weeks, we hadn't had the chance to complete any of the traditional birthing classes. Stacie coached me and my partner through the labor while she precepted her orientee. She encouraged us to sleep after my epidural was placed, and oh my did we need it! Prior to pushing, she took the time to walk us through what I needed to do and how my partner could support me. She encouraged me to try different positions, not leaving us the entire 3 hours we pushed.

As my nurse, she coached me through each contraction, turning into my focal point. Without it being said, I'm certain that Stacie advocated for us. I didn't have to ask for the providers or about next steps. Things just seemed to happen. Close to the 3 hours, I started sleeping between contractions - I am sure Stacie picked up on and addressed this without me knowing it. We ended having a vacuum-assisted delivery; everything was explained by Stacie, her orientee, and the providers.

Throughout my labor, Stacie quietly taught her orientee. She role-modeled coaching me. Medications were hung and explained. Stacie walked through what she was seeing on the fetal monitor in a way that taught her orientee quietly enough to assure the monitor was not my focal point. She explained signs of complications specific to the PPROM and labor. I never knew if we were showing any of those signs. Never once did Stacie's concern or her need to explain things alarm me. I was confident that Stacie had everything handled.

Stacie was a fantastic preceptor - she attended to our needs and taught in a way that didn’t heighten our anxiety. It was a blessing to have both Stacie and her orientee in our room. It's not easy becoming a new mom, having complications, and delivering a preemie in a pandemic. It's also not easy to be a patient when you're a nurse. My OB knowledge goes back to my undergraduate class in 2002. Never in my stay were assumptions made about what I knew -- and this was especially true during our labor. I couldn't be more thankful to have been cared for by Stacie and her orientee. Stacie's abilities as a nurse and preceptor shone through; these are memories I will never forget, and I will certainly not forget the care that my family received.