2007 Cherokee Inspired Comfort Award Grand Prize Winner – Student Nurse Category
Award Nomination
| Recipient: | Stephen Moulton |
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| Job Title: | Student |
| Employer: | Louisiana State University – Health Science Center |
| Nominated by: | Marirose Bernard, MN, APRN, CAN-BC |
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| Title: | Instructor |
| Employer: | Louisiana State University – Health Science Center, School of Nursing |
Stephen was my student in the OB/Newborn/Postpartum rotation at a New Orleans hospital. On this particular day during clinical, Stephen happened to be walking down the hallway when a staff member came walking by with a baby in a crib. We learned that the young mother, age 19, had just learned the day before that she was pregnant and had just very unexpectedly delivered the baby at 19 weeks gestation in the ER.
The Nurse Practitioner that accompanied the baby to the L&D unit said that the baby was non-viable and that there was nothing that could be done for him. When learning that the baby still had a beating heart, Stephen reacted quickly and asked where we could take the baby for some privacy. Unfortunately, literally every available room was occupied that day, and the only place available was a utility room. Stephen rolled the crib to the room, unwrapped the baby, and listened for a heartbeat. Stephen then wrapped the baby in a warm blanket and told me he would stay with the baby as long as I needed him to, that he would not leave him alone. As I left the room to find the baby's mother, I glanced back and saw this tall, lanky man in his white student nurse uniform, holding the tiniest little hand in his. His face was such an expression of caring that it brought tears to my eyes.
Shortly thereafter, the mother was brought up to L&D. Stephen asked if he could bring the baby to the mother. He slowly rolled the crib down to the mother's room, and ever so gently, with tears in his eyes, placed the tiny infant in the mother's arms. In his reflective journal of that day, Stephen said that although it saddened him to see the look of anguish on the mother's face, he felt honored to have been the person who got to hand her son while he still had a beating heart. He said that he would have done whatever it took to make sure that the baby was not left to die alone.
As a nursing instructor, I try to instill in my students the importance of being clinically competent, practicing according to nursing standards of care, and providing a safe environment for patients. The most important thing I try to teach, however, is the art of caring and advocating for one's patients. That day in clinical, Stephen epitomized those concepts of caring and advocacy. I was, and still am, so proud of him. The future of nursing is bright with Stephen Moulton as a shining star. It is my honor and privilege to nominate him for this award.