Patient experience spotlight: Victoria Emery

Every month, Akron Children’s recognizes an employee for providing an excellent patient experience. Our most recent honoree is Victoria Emery, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) nurse. She recently received this feedback from a thankful mother:

“I would like to mention Victoria Emery. Akron Children’s is lucky to have her as a NICU nurse. From our 101-day stay, she was by far the best nurse we had. She was our nurse starting the first week of our stay. From the beginning, she made sure she explained everything she did in terms we would understand – putting us at ease. 

“When our son was intubated, no one explained to me or my husband what was going on. In our minds, if our son did not have success on the ventilator there would be nothing else that could be done for him. It wasn’t until Victoria came in that night that she explained there were other options for our son if this didn’t work and calmed our worries and fears. Those first few weeks in the NICU are scary. Victoria did her best to not only take care of our son but help take care of us, too. We knew any time that Victoria was our night nurse that we could go home and sleep with ease because we knew she had our son. Again, she is a phenomenal nurse and a gem of a human. Akron Children’s is so lucky to have her.”

Victoria, how long have you worked at Akron Children’s?

I have worked at Children’s for a little over a year.

What do you like best about working in the NICU?

I love supporting the families through some of the hardest times of their lives. I love being able to watch the babies grow and overcome what life has thrown at them at such a young age. Seeing the preemies overcome every obstacle that comes their way and just experiencing the resilience of babies day in and day out.

When you read the remarks from this grateful mom, how did it make you feel?

When I read this feedback, it made me proud. I know it can be very hard for families in the NICU because they are scared, rightfully so. It made me proud because I felt like I helped that family more than I ever thought I would have. Being the person they looked to for answers, honestly, is just an honor.  

The mom said you took care of her, along with the baby. What things do you do – large and small – to comfort NICU parents?

I remember the first night I had their son. The dad was doing skin-to-skin contact. As the mom pumped her breast milk, she mentioned her feet feeling tight in her shoes. Without hesitation, I walked over to unlace her sneakers, pull her shoes off and elevate her feet in the recliner. I was also just there, being present no matter what the day held for them. I tried to come in and at least make them smile or laugh and bring some joy to the room after the extra challenging days.

What does family-centered care mean to you?

Family-centered care is something that seems so simple yet entails a lot of thought. It means being honest with families, being transparent, respecting them and making them feel heard no matter how big or little their concern is. Encouraging participation in care – I think this one gets overlooked a lot in the NICU because families are intimidated by all the cords and wires. But it’s an excellent time to encourage them and tell them they’ve got this – and don’t worry about the wires. They’ve got their baby, and I’ve got them.