CW was an elderly patient. She had dementia and although she was a full code, her prognosis was very poor. She did have a son, but he worked multiple jobs and had not been to the hospital to see her. Multiple providers including palliative care spoke to the patient's son, but he was reluctant to change her code status. As a result, multiple MRTs had been called to address the patient's declining oxygen saturations and hypotension. On Thursday, the patient again desaturates and became hypotensive. An MRT was again called and this time she called the patient's son. She was able to help the patient's son make the decision to make his mother comfort care. He was still not able to come to the hospital.
Hours later I poked my head into CW's room. I found Ashley Chrisman my charge nurse sitting quietly in the patient's room. I asked her if there was something she needed and she said, "No, I just did not want her to be alone." It was nearly 1400, so I asked if she had had lunch and she said she had not. I offered to sit with the patient so that she could take her break. She told me no, she did not think it would be long. As we sat quietly in the room, CW peacefully passed. Because Ashley took the time to be with her, she did not die alone.