Nurses at Baptist Memphis and NEA Baptist won rave reviews from their patients and families for delivering compassionate care. Through word and deed, these team members made tough, scary times a little easier.
Baptist Memphis
Karen Cole
Karen Cole, RN on 2 West, was nominated by a patient recently for providing “true comfort and joy during my transition from ICU to stepdown after my open heart surgery. She impressed me with her knowledge and attentive nature, and never made me feel she was too rushed or busy to provide excellent care to me.
“During the middle of the night, Karen took the time to review my chart with me, and then thoroughly explained what the doctors were ordering and why. Karen reassured me, kept me informed, and allowed me to play an active role in managing my health.”
Amanda McDowell
According to one of her patients: “Amanda is a very hardworking and compassionate nurse who exemplifies a lot of love to her patients. My sister came in with a stroke and aneurysm, and Amanda was her first nurse. She was an over-the-top servant to my sister. God knew my sister deserved this treatment, because she is the same type of servant. I rested well at night knowing that my sister was in good hands. Amanda often looked in and checked on my brother-in-law, who stayed as well. I love and appreciate all of the medical staff, but Amanda McDowell has a special place because her heart is pure. Thank you, Amanda, for all you do.”
Jessica Roberts
During a recent MRT call, Jessica Roberts, RN, was extremely attentive to a patient and his wife. She assisted with getting the patient safely back into bed, even though she was not the patient’s nurse. Jessica was visiting the patient as part of her Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) patient visits. She went above and beyond to provide the best care and outcome for this patient.
Cameron Sanders
Two different patient families nominated Cameron Sanders, RN, for the DAISY award. In the first nomination, the daughter of a patient said: “Cameron took excellent care of my 98-year-old father with kindness and compassion during a very frustrating and scary time. I witnessed Cameron kneel down by my dad’s bed at the end of his shift to let my dad know he would be off a few days, but knew my dad would do great in his upcoming surgery.”
The second nomination detailed how attentive Cameron was to the family’s loved one. They credit Cameron’s actions for dramatically improving their loved one’s health.
NEA Baptist
Gina Carter
A patient shared this touching story about her experience with Gina:
“Recently our son was born at NEA. He was five weeks early and despite all the technology available, we were surprised at birth with a diagnosis of Down syndrome. To say we were overwhelmed is an understatement. We hadn’t told our families about the diagnosis yet, and all day long everyone who entered the room just kept repeating the words ‘Down syndrome, Down syndrome, Down syndrome.’ It had finally hit us like a ton of bricks that this could be our new reality!
“I’ll never forget, we were in the restroom in our hospital room crying, comforting one another and letting reality sink in when Gina came into our room. Gina entered the restroom with me and my husband, and she hugged me until the tears stopped flowing. But the thing she did next is what we will carry with us for the rest of our lives! She placed her hands on my husband’s shoulder and mine, looked us both in the eyes and said, ‘Your son may very well have Down syndrome and that is his medical diagnosis. However, that diagnosis does not define who he is as your son and as an individual. God created him for a purpose and he chose you to parent him for some reason.’ She then proceeded to pray with us that God would give us peace and guide us with the most beautiful prayer that just calmed our soul! This was exactly what we needed to hear! It gave us the courage to tell our families about the diagnosis.
“Also, I had been on bed rest for most of my pregnancy and with him coming early, I found myself unprepared for his delivery. He was so tiny, and I didn’t have any preemie clothes for him. I had mentioned this to Gina and she went out of her way and took it upon herself to purchase preemie clothes, socks, hats, mittens, blankets, pacifiers, bottles, diapers and wipes for us out of the goodness of her heart!
“I know she must have spent a significant amount of her own money to pour love into our family. As if this wasn’t enough, Gina was able to get us established with the top pediatric special needs physician in our area. This physician had no available Medicaid patient spots, but Gina made a phone call directly to the physician, who opened an available spot not only for our son, but for his two siblings!
“On top of this, she was able to give me contact information for another mother who has an older daughter with Down syndrome (with her permission, of course). Gina had contacted her about being a mentor for me, and she agreed to do so. To have the ability to speak to someone else who knows exactly what you’re going through and has been in your shoes…Gina was such a blessing to my family during one of the hardest times of our lives! To you, Gina may be a nurse at NEA, but to us she is an angel in scrubs! She is an absolute blessing to my family. She is a godsend, and we will never be able to thank her enough for all she has done for our family!”
