Since her initial first days on 5 west, Alexis has demonstrated a great amount of determination as well as compassion for the patients she cares for. Two examples, in particular, are when we had a young female patient who was transferred from the ICU to our unit. Alexis was this patient's nurse for many days and realized that it had been very difficult for the patient or her elderly mother to attentively maintain the patients basic ADLs. Lexi purchased this patient shampoo, conditioner, a brush and a comb and assisted in washing and combing this patient's hair to a level that satisfied the patient and made her as she said, "feel like a normal person." Upon transfer to another unit, this particular patient raved about the days that she spent with Alexis and made sure that we knew how wonderful she had been.
Another example of the care that Alexis has given is when we had a patient who was actively dying and had no family and minimal friends here in Jacksonville. During her multiple days of caring for this patient, Lexi had taken the time to find out details of this patient's life, including his past, that we as nurses sometimes do not have the time to learn. Lexi and this elderly gentleman shared a great love for the novel "To Kill a Mockingbird," as Lexi had read it as a teenager and this patient carried a copy in his pocket as a child. As the patient's health declined, he refused to be transferred to inpatient hospice for his desire was to stay on 5400 where he could be close to his "new friend." Lexi brought "To Kill a Mockingbird" to read to this patient even on days that he was not her patient and sat for hours on end comforting him and holding his hand. Before she left each night, she would write quotes on his board to remind him that she was thinking about him and that also gave him something to focus on. Another one of the few things that this patient enjoyed was answering multiple Jeopardy questions, therefore even past when the patient could talk or even had the strength to answer them, Lexi sat at bedside reading and answering questions that she knew he would enjoy. The bond that these two shared was such an inspiration to many of our nurses and reminded us that even though we may only know our patients for a short period of time and we may not be their longest friend, we can certainly be one of their last.