Reid’s first DAISY Team Award recognizes nurses for compassionate care during family’s most difficult moments

At a time of unimaginable loss, the care and compassion of a nursing team helped a family through their hardest days. The nursing team provided more than medical care as they navigated the loss of their newborn son. They offered comfort and companionship, developing a bond that continues today.

In recognition of their exceptional care, six nurses from the Family Birthing Center are the recipients of the first DAISY Team Award at Reid Health.

Casey Erbse of Richmond nominated the team. Erbse wrote in the nomination she and her husband, Brandon, received the devastating news their son, Brandon Alexander Erbse II, had a condition incompatible with life. The couple later scheduled a C-section at the Family Birthing Center.

“My care team was amazing,” Erbse said. “Every one of them were by my side during the hardest days of my life, and I can't repay the debt I owe to them. I had to say hello and goodbye to my son in just a few hours, and I couldn't have endured it without their help.”

Erbse expressed her appreciation for her care team including Erika Brandenstein, MD, with Reid OB/GYN, and nurses Ayren Staton, Director of Women’s Services, Patient Experience, and Acute Rehab; Michelle Burke of Richmond; Taylor Farr of Hagerstown; Ariana Hernandez of Union City, Indiana; Megan Maples of New Madison, Ohio; and Charissa Peacock of Eaton, Ohio.

During the time the family spent with their son, the nurses provided comfort beyond medical care.

“They cared for my baby like he was alive,” Erbse said.

“When I couldn't sleep, they kept me company. They held me when I fell apart. They helped my husband bathe my son's body. They rocked him and spoke to him even though he was already gone. They ran to my room every time I needed anything. They helped me swaddle him, took pictures, laughed, and cried with me.”

The team approaches every family with compassion, recognizing each patient arrives with unique needs and expectations, said Farr.

“In labor and delivery, we’re invited into some of the most vulnerable times of people's lives and this is something no one takes lightly,” Farr said.

“Every member of our team understands every patient that walks through our doors brings a different story with different needs and expectations. I never want my patients to feel like they’re just another patient.”

The Family Birthing Center team receives bereavement training designed to help staff support families experiencing loss. The training helps nurses understand situations from a family's perspective, anticipate needs, offer meaningful suggestions, and connect families with resources that might provide comfort in the months ahead.

“Our training in bereavement support helps us navigate these emotional experiences in our patients' lives,” Farr said. “Sometimes there isn't a perfect thing to say. Sometimes the most meaningful thing we can do for our patients is just be present.”

Burke said the team prepared in advance for the family's arrival, carefully considering how to best support them.

“Our team did the best we could to provide support to the family, whether it was a shoulder to cry on, simple reassurance, or just sitting with them in quiet,” Burke said. “We just really wanted to support them and help them through their difficult time.”

The DAISY Team Award is a new recognition at Reid to be presented annually to a team whose collaboration, dedication, and compassion create a meaningful impact on the care experience. Each team member receives a certificate and special team pin, and the team receives a recognition plaque.

Billie Kester Vice President for Ambulatory Care and Service Lines at Reid, said the team’s actions demonstrate the lasting impact of patient-centered care.

“Their compassion, empathy, and willingness to walk alongside this family demonstrate the extraordinary impact nurses can have and the difference compassionate care can make in a family's life,” Kester said.

For Farr, receiving the recognition is a humbling and emotional experience.

“We’re privileged to be part of some of the happiest moments in people’s lives, but we also walk alongside families during their most vulnerable and heartbreaking moments,” she said. “We don't always know the lasting impact on the families we care for, so to be able to be recognized was amazing. This family will always hold such a special place in all of our hearts!”

Hernandez said the recognition is especially meaningful because of the bond the team developed with the couple.

“Our team pours so much of ourselves into showing compassion to all our patients every day,” she said. “For us to be able to be recognized and feel the work we do is meaningful makes it all worth it.”

Caring for families who experience loss is among the most difficult parts of labor and delivery nursing, Hernandez said.

“Although we have amazing days, we also have extremely hard days where we hold our parents, love on them, and love on their baby like they’re our own,” she said.

“More than anything I would love to say thank you to Casey and Brandon for sharing their sweet boy with us. For showing us such kindness and love even after the fact. We appreciate you more than you'll ever know.”

For Erbse, the nursing team’s support has created a lasting connection.

“There’s nothing any staff member could’ve done better than they did for us,” Erbse said.

“They celebrated his birth and mourned his death with me. They attended his funeral. They’re so much more than nurses to me. They’re family.”

The DAISY Award is part of the DAISY Foundation's mission to recognize the extraordinary, compassionate care nurses provide to patients and families every day. To learn more about the DAISY Award or submit a nomination, visit http://www.reidhealth.org/daisy-award.