It is one thing to be a nurse caring for a sick or dying patient in the hospital, but it is very different when you are here as a family member of a patient. Billie Jo, his nurse on the day he passed, exemplified exactly what I would hope to see in a nurse caring for a dying family member, and made me proud to tell my family I worked here. She displayed compassion, understanding, and respect for my large family. She explained everything to my grandfather that she was doing, whether he was conscious or not. He was hard of hearing, so she would go up close to his ear so he could hear her. She was calm and sweet, making her moments of caring for him very peaceful in his last hours. He was confused and agitated at times, and she would calm him down with her soft explanations and staying on top of his meds, making him as comfortable as possible. We had around 15 visitors in and out that day, and she was wonderful to everyone, offering things to us – she provided a whole bereavement cart when my grandmother asked for water. My uncle had run out of the house in the morning frantic after getting the call and he forgot his socks (lol) so she provided some of those as well. She assured my mom that my grandfather could hear everything everyone was saying, so they were able to put his favorite music on to let him listen to provide more comfort and decrease his anxiety. He hung on for almost her whole 12-hour shift, and she was just wonderful and so understanding and empathetic with everyone the whole time.