David Dalman, RN, ADN

My Stepdad was brought into the CCU with Sepsis that quickly became liver and kidney failure, and the list goes on and on while his responsiveness became less and less each day. While I have medical knowledge, my mother does not. She did look to me for explanations and ramifications as well. Being up there from morning till night each day, I knew the chances of walking out of there became less and less very quickly. It was very good that while my Stepdad was in CCU, Dave was his nurse for 4 days straight. This was the worst-case scenario and every person’s worst nightmare to live through. Dave really gave my mom clear knowledge and options each day with each decision made and what to expect given each decision. She really looked to him for his input from the whole team, and he helped her stay informed and therefore calm as can be in the situation. He was always direct, caring, compassionate, and informative, making the perfect scenario for my mom to consider her decision for options. With all the staff coming in to help turn him, change sheets, and check meds, etc., it was very easy to see that Dave had something extraordinary to offer his patients and family, and we were lucky to have that there. Every move he made oozed compassion for my stepdad and my mom. His girlfriend, who also works in the CCU, came in to help and was just as compassionate as he was. They make a great team! When it became quickly clear what decision needed to be made, Dave helped my mom know what to expect, and at the end of that day, she made the right decision that could haunt a person forever. She felt relieved she did the right thing and felt supported by Dave and the staff that was there.