Ms. Heilmann was caring for a terminally ill Veteran that had recently transitioned to Hospice Care. Ms. Heilmann noticed that the Veteran was very quiet and withdrawn, with little to no interaction with her or other SICU staff members. She talked with the patient, noted that he was upset about his illness, and asked what she could do to cheer him up and make his stay more pleasant. The patient verbalized that he enjoyed listening to Jamaican music. To lift his spirits, Ms. Heilmann brought a smartphone into the patient's room, located a station that played Jamaican music, and left it at the bedside for him to listen to and enjoy.
While rounding through the unit I overheard the music and stepped into the patient's room to investigate. Upon entering, I observed Ms. Heilmann at the bedside performing a blood draw and singing to the patient. The Veteran was smiling and appeared to be enjoying the music and the company. Ms. Heilmann left the smartphone at the bedside the remainder of the day so that he could continue to listen to the music.
I spoke with the patient a few hours later, and he was extremely appreciative of Ms. Heilmann's efforts to lift his spirits. He stated that he enjoyed the music in the room, and it had definitely improved his day. This Veteran was very impressed with the compassion displayed by Ms. Heilmann and grateful for her caring actions which he considered "above and beyond".