Brian Coer
November 2018
Brian
Coer
,
BSN, RN
Surgical Intensive Care Unit
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center
Lebanon
,
NH
United States

 

 

 

My partner, S, was admitted after having a severe stroke that he wasn't going to recover from. We just made him comfortable, as much as we could, and waited for the inevitable.
When the shift change happened, Brian came in and introduced himself. I was getting comfortable in the chair and getting ready for a long night spending as much time with S as I could. Brian told me that if I needed anything to just let him know and offered me a cart with coffee and snacks, which I really appreciated. It saved me from leaving S's side to go get a coffee, drink or snack.
As the night progressed, I was laying there holding S's hand as he was unconscious, just listening to him breathe. I could see Brian open the curtain and peek in the room making sure everything was okay. If I ever needed anything, he was right there.
As the night went on, Brian sat in the room for a long time talking to me about how we met and distracting me from what was happening, which I appreciated ever so much. So as we were talking, he was checking on S making sure everything was okay as it could be, monitoring him as it pushed into earlier and earlier in the morning.
Around 4 am, Brian changed the medication as S had started towards the end. Brian sat with me until right near the end. I couldn't have handled it as well as I did if I was there alone. I can't tell you all how much I appreciated everything he did, giving me time to say my final goodbyes and hold him one last time, and he could see I was barely holding it together. When he offered to walk me out, he wheeled me all the way down to the North Entrance and waited with me until S's sister came to get me. All I could do at the time was just give him a huge hug and thank him so much, I really don't think I could have coped as well without him.
I couldn't have asked for a better RN. I would have gone back and thanked him again and again; brought him dinner or lunch something to thank him, which is why I'm nominating him for this award.
This is my thank you and a huge hug, for just making a terrible situation so calm and peaceful. I just can't thank him enough.