NICU family describes nurse as a “godsend”

By Maureen Gilmer, Riley Children’s Health senior writer, mgilmer1@iuhealth.org

Nick and Alyssa Pugliese will forever be grateful to the team at Riley Hospital for Children that safely delivered and cared for their baby girl. But one nurse in particular stands out.

Breanna Magness, a neonatal intensive care unit nurse at Riley for three years, was surprised with a DAISY award recently, after being nominated by Alyssa Pugliese.

Valerie Pugliese was born last November and required a lengthy stay in the NICU due to a birth defect called omphalocele. The abdominal defect, diagnosed at Alyssa’s 20-week scan, results in abdominal organs protruding outside the body.

It was a devastating diagnosis for the Pittsboro couple, but they were comforted by the results of genetic testing, which revealed no other serious health concerns for their baby.

And while the 56 days that Valerie spent in the NICU were long and hard, the path was easier because of Magness, they said.

“We knew during pregnancy that (Valerie) would be born with a defect that would require a long stay at the Riley NICU,” the new mom said in nominating Magness. “We were scared and nervous. We met Breanna our first week in the NICU, and we knew right away there was something special about her.”

Watching the young nurse take care of their daughter brought them a sense of relief during her stay, they said.

“The way she would interact with our daughter and care for her like she was her own settled our nerves. We hated leaving each night, but when Bree was our nurse, we knew she would be in good hands, and we could relax and feel more comfortable leaving.”

Magness, who started her nursing training as a patient care tech at IU Health Methodist Hospital, accepted a position as a registered nurse in the Riley NICU after graduation from nursing school.

“I have wanted to be a NICU nurse for as long as I can remember,” she said. “My niece was a NICU baby for a little bit, so I saw the impact nurses had. I just loved it.”

Being recognized with a DAISY for clinical excellence and compassionate care means the world to her, she said, and being surprised at work, surrounded by nurses, physicians and other colleagues, was truly special.

Nursing is a challenging career, but the rewards go beyond recognition ceremonies, as nice as they are.

“I love that I can help these families,” she said. “Knowing that I can give them reassurance and comfort to be able to leave and know their baby is being well taken care of. And I love the good days when I can discharge a baby home, a baby who’s been there a really long time and has been through so much.

“Even on the bad days,” she added, “it’s nice just knowing I can help relieve some anxiety or stress that these parents may be going through on some of the worst days of their lives.”

That compassion is what Alyssa and Nick witnessed from mid-November, on through the holidays and into January before Valerie was discharged home, with Magness there to wish them well.

Now almost 5 months old, their daughter is doing well, Alyssa said. She requires no respiratory support, and her feeding tube has been removed. Pediatric surgeon Dr. Alan Ladd will operate to correct the baby’s abdominal defect when she gets a little older.

Alyssa still gets emotional thinking back to her daughter’s NICU days and seeing how Magness doted on Valerie.

“She has been a godsend to us. I’m not sure we would have made it through the NICU stay without Bree. She’ll probably always be in our lives.”

And when Valerie gets a little older, she likely will get the chance to reconnect with Magness, Valerie’s mom said.

“I can’t wait for my daughter to meet the wonderful nurse who took such great and gentle care of her.”

Magness and her husband, Jared, don’t have children of their own, but they do have a Goldendoodle that Magness considers her baby. Outside of Riley, she enjoys spending time with friends and family and traveling, most recently to Italy with her husband.

Nominate a nurse who exemplifies excellent clinical skills and compassionate care here.

Photos submitted and by Mike Dickbernd, IU Health visual journalist, mdickbernd@iuhealth.org