I recently had one of the most exciting, but scariest, days of my life, but I am so grateful for the amazing care I received at Essentia from many members of the team. However, one nurse really stood out to my husband and me for many reasons that I'd like to explain.

That morning, I gave birth via c-section to a sweet baby boy who was our miracle and rainbow baby after a journey of infertility, loss, and other health obstacles. Everything was perfect, time was standing still, the team taking care of us was incredible, and we were feeling nothing but pure bliss. Unfortunately, later that day, I started feeling alarming symptoms that the OB team acted fast on, but a rapid response needed to be called, which resulted in team members from other areas of the hospital responding. This brought an amazing critical care nurse to my bedside named Cassie Bremer. There are so many rave things I could say about Cassie, but here are some of the specific instances of that night that still stick with us today.

First, she had such a gentle and calming demeanor despite the situation, I will never forget the ease she gave me when things were scary and unknown. Not only was her bedside manner impeccable, but she also came with top notch nursing skills. I watched her work alongside my incredible OB and the team to stabilize me, which included administering a lifesaving medication to treat my gravely low blood pressure, while also monitoring me, communicating with me AND the medical team, while also cracking jokes along the way at just the right times. It was determined I would need a CT; Cassie accompanied me to this while still doing all the things listed above. Finally, it was determined I would need to head to the Interventional Radiology lab to stop the bleeding that was causing all this to happen. Turns out Cassie was a dayshift nurse and by this time, it was getting very close to the end of her shift. She didn't show any signs of wanting to rush out at shift change and continued to talk me through everything and ensured I felt comfortable with the handoff to IR while reassuring me she had backup to provide the same care she was providing me with before she left my side. This turned out to be roughly a 2.5-hour procedure, and to my surprise, Cassie was waiting for me in my room on the 6th floor. I instantly felt a weight lifted off my chest, and I could not believe she was still there; I asked her why she was still there, and she responded, “Because I wanted to make sure you were okay.” I cannot begin to explain how personal and enduring this felt, and because of her presence, I was able to go back to the OB floor and be reunited with my brand new, not even 12-hour-old baby.

Unfortunately, I had become hypotensive again, thank goodness Cassie was still there, she continued to reassure me and made sure I was administered the things I needed to not go into hypovolemic shock and once again, kept me as calm as possible. Unfortunately, it was determined I would need to be moved to CCU, but once again, Cassie assured me that she had a competent nurse waiting for me and she would make sure I was settled into the new unit before she left. She also advocated for me with this transfer and ensured my baby came with me during the transfer to help me stay calm because she understood the last thing any mom would want is to be separated from their brand-new baby. I received outstanding care with the transfer and Cassie accompanied me throughout the entire process, even telling me I had the best of the best nurses on that shift, even though she was probably just telling me that for ease since I'm sure there were many fantastic nurses on, she just knew that's what I needed to hear in my emotional, scared and physically unstable postpartum state. At this point it is now nearing midnight and like I said, Cassie was a dayshift nurse; she was likely at the hospital working busily 5.5-6 hours past her shift time, I'm not sure I even noticed her step aside for a drink of water, use the bathroom or eat a snack, I sure hope she did, but if so she was able to do it without me even feeling like she left my bedside. Earlier, Cassie shared that she also had a traumatic birth story not too long prior with the same OB (neither scenario had anything to do with the OB’s skills), but she also spoke highly of Cassie and voiced relief at Cassie’s presence for my case. Going back to my point, though, this meant Cassie had kids at home who also needed her. Being a mom myself, it spoke even more volume that she was willing to sacrifice home life to provide such passionate care to a patient who is a total stranger. She could not have known how much I needed her in those critical and terrifying hours and how impactful and memorable her care was for me that day.

I know this is long, but as I said, I have so much to say about my interactions with Cassie that day. She is one of those nurses you don't find often, but when you do, you will cherish their care for the rest of your life. It is almost as if she had invisible wings that day and God knew exactly the angel nurse to send to me. She exemplified every one of Essentia’s 7 core values with natural ease. I am sure I am missing pieces of the story, and I know this is quite a bit to read, but I wanted to describe as best I could what I experienced that day and give Cassie the credit she deserves for the nurse she is and was that day. I hope this gives even a glimpse of insight into how much Cassie deserves a DAISY Award.

P.S. It took me almost 4 months to submit this award nomination because I had to track down Cassie's last name, but that shows even 4 months later, I am still feeling that impacted by her care.