All caregivers have patients they will never forget. It comes with the territory – caring for people during their most challenging times in life. Extending compassion creates a connection.
For Portneuf Medical Center nurse, Wendy Allbright, RN, the patient she will never forget arrived in labor and delivery just over two years ago.
“Unfortunately, I knew my patient was not going to go home with a healthy baby,” Wendy shares. “This wonderful mom delivered the most beautiful 34-week stillborn baby girl. I had the honor of helping her through her long labor and then with bereavement care for her and her family. We found a beautiful yellow dress for the baby so the mom could hold her. This mom and baby touched my heart in such a special way and I just bonded with her. I prayed that someday she would return so I could be her nurse again.”
Last December, as Wendy arrived for her shift, their worlds came together once again.
“The same mom came back, this time in labor at full-term and ready to have another baby,” Wendy remembers. “I heard her voice from the other side of the hall. I immediately knew she was the one. I walked over and said, ‘I am going to be your nurse.’ She looked at me, and I looked at her and we hugged. I told her that I had been waiting for her to return.”
Healthcare is personal and having the privilege to help this family welcome a new baby was Wendy’s reminder of why she chose nursing.
“I had the honor of caring for her and was with her for the delivery of a beautiful healthy baby,” she adds. “Days like those make my job as a nurse so amazing. “
The connection between the two was highlighted in this comment from a patient survey:
“Wendy remembered me from when I lost my daughter due to stillbirth at 34 weeks in December 2017. She knew exactly what I needed and took extra care of me. She is one of the best nurses you have. Thank you.”
This story illustrates the Power of One – one person, in one moment, doing something that can change a life. We honor those who know it is more than medicine that heals people. With compassionate care and their purpose of caring for others, nurses are the heart of health care.