Beth Savage
May 2023
Beth
Savage
,
MSN, RN
Cardiovascular Medicine
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston
,
MA
United States
She prepared me for something I couldn't be prepared enough for. She advocated for my father right up until his last breath. She also took the time with me to identify my feelings and what this loss meant to me.
My father had a complex cardiac history. He spent the last few months of his life in and out of hospitals as he was in decompensated heart failure. He spent 2 weeks in the hospital. He was doing really well and responding to treatment when things took a turn for the worse. The days that followed his change in status were the worst my family and I had ever been through.
Given his condition and the conversations my family and I had with physicians, palliative care, and his team, we decided we should redirect care. Our family was able to go say our final goodbyes, but I decided to stay the night with him.
Beth Savage was his nurse that night. Although a nurse myself, this was a very difficult, yet rewarding and bittersweet situation for me to be in with my father, whom I was so close to. As heartbreaking as it was, I was so grateful to be there with him.
I will not deny, I was scared. Beth was so kind, compassionate, and empathetic to his needs, keeping him comfortable and treating him with the utmost respect and dignity. She explained all interventions and the rationale for them. She prepared me for something I couldn't be prepared enough for. She advocated for my father right up until his last breath. She also took the time with me to identify my feelings and what this loss meant to me.
Beth was available throughout the night while also allowing my father and me to have the privacy we needed. She made an absolutely heartbreaking and terrible situation bearable and was literally an angel to me. She showed such expertise and grace to my father and my family. I will never forget all that she did for my father and how she made it possible for me to be present and emotionally strong being by my father's side at the end of his journey.
Beth exemplifies what being a nurse is, going above and beyond, providing patient-centered care, and being aware and attentive to the needs of the family. She is simply amazing, and I am forever grateful. MGH should be aware of this and is lucky to have such an amazing clinician.
Given his condition and the conversations my family and I had with physicians, palliative care, and his team, we decided we should redirect care. Our family was able to go say our final goodbyes, but I decided to stay the night with him.
Beth Savage was his nurse that night. Although a nurse myself, this was a very difficult, yet rewarding and bittersweet situation for me to be in with my father, whom I was so close to. As heartbreaking as it was, I was so grateful to be there with him.
I will not deny, I was scared. Beth was so kind, compassionate, and empathetic to his needs, keeping him comfortable and treating him with the utmost respect and dignity. She explained all interventions and the rationale for them. She prepared me for something I couldn't be prepared enough for. She advocated for my father right up until his last breath. She also took the time with me to identify my feelings and what this loss meant to me.
Beth was available throughout the night while also allowing my father and me to have the privacy we needed. She made an absolutely heartbreaking and terrible situation bearable and was literally an angel to me. She showed such expertise and grace to my father and my family. I will never forget all that she did for my father and how she made it possible for me to be present and emotionally strong being by my father's side at the end of his journey.
Beth exemplifies what being a nurse is, going above and beyond, providing patient-centered care, and being aware and attentive to the needs of the family. She is simply amazing, and I am forever grateful. MGH should be aware of this and is lucky to have such an amazing clinician.