Nurse Spotlight – Jody Elliott

This month we are highlighting Jody Elliott from Swedish Medical Center.  Jody has been with the Wishbone Foundation from day one and she explains in her own words what the foundation means to her and why our mission is so important.

What does the Wishbone Foundation mean to you?  The Wishbone foundation has many meanings to me. First and foremost being the birth of Mackensie Owenn Wright. The day the world changed. The day Brad and Jianna and their family came into my life. They say the bereavement teams helped them and without the team they don’t know where they would be. However, because of the unfortunate and devastating circumstances that they faced that day, so many lives, including that of myself have been forever changed. The Wishbone foundation has and will continue to help families, nurses and healthcare workers all around the world.

Why is it important to provide this type of training to nurses?  It is important because the topic of miscarriage, stillbirth and infant loss is a taboo subject. Not only in the American culture and many others cultures but the healthcare culture as a whole. Due to the taboo subject of loss, the training as far as how to care for the patient, the family, the baby, and the staff caring for these families, in non-existent. Not to mention the lack of support for the healthcare workers.

What sets the Wishbone Foundation apart from other organizations? I have been to many bereavement trainings for fetal and infant loss. The Wishbone Foundation is in its own league. Speaking as a nurse, separating myself as being partial because of my relationship to the foundation, it is by far the best training I have ever attended. My colleagues that have attended have the same response. There are many reasons I say that and the number one reason is that it is for “nurses”. We learn how to care for our families, our babies, but we learn how to take care of our self. Without self care we cannot care for and do for our families like they deserve. We have one chance to get it right and there is no going back. The Wishbone Foundation 2-day training is unlike any other training because of the workshop and being with other nurses that have been through and understand each others grief that goes along with caring for these families. With the help of our psychologists that specialize in this area, no other training compares. One last thing, we cannot forget to mention the parent panel which helps us as nurses and individuals understand first and foremost what they need, what helped them, what we could have been better, and how we can better help the next family that endures such tragedy. They are the brave families that through there horrible situation allows the next family to have a better experience.