A 40-year-old patient was very sick and placed on comfort care. As you can imagine, this was very distressing to the health care team. As time got closer, the primary nurse reached out to the chaplain. Knowing it may be a while before the chaplain would arrive at the patient room, the primary nurse reached out to Caroline Lanier, a nurse on the Ambulatory Care Unit.
Without hesitation, Caroline came to the patient's bedside ready to provide comfort to the patient and family but verbalized she may cry in doing so. The patient representative told her she was only human, and it was completely acceptable to cry. Caroline calmly and peacefully entered the room, introduced herself to the patient and family and held the patient's hand. A feeling of warmth entered the room with Caroline's presence, and she said a quiet prayer to the patient and family.
A Code Grace was called, and Caroline joined the team in singing to the patient as she took her last breath. Caroline's face was red, and eyes were filled with tears, but she was able to compose herself to say a word of prayer after the patient's passing. The strength, compassion, and humility of this act, to a patient she had never met before, was heartwarming to everyone in the room. Caroline is known as a nurse who is caring, compassionate, and selfless. She is a true humble servant and this example is one of many.