I was notified that I had a call in on the unit and that I needed to come in and take patients and that's what I did. My team tried to assure me that I had an easy group. I had not cared for patients at the bedside in a long time and certainly not med-surg care. I received report and let the team know I would be relying on them heavily throughout the night. Deborah, a nurse, had the section next to mine and encouraged me throughout the night. It seemed to be a star crossed night as we had two episodes back to back. A patient desating into the 60's with a family member who would not allow us to care for the patient, insisting we were not doing things the way she did them at home. Then the patient suddenly began using the wrong words in sentences and left side facial droop. The nurse asked me to come take a look at her through my ER eyes. We called a code stroke and she handled all that goes with caring for a patient in that circumstance. I had been keeping a close eye on one of my patients that had been nonverbal for some time. Today there was something different about her. She seemed a little more restless than normal and I didn't like her breathing. I paged the MD who ordered a chest x-ray. I went in the patient's room to reposition her and realized that she needed to be changed as well. I solicited some help and when we pulled the covers back, we discovered that the patient had a significant GI bleed. Deborah was right there with me calm as a cucumber while I was in ER mode trying to save this patient.
MRT arrived and I spoke with two physicians. All the while, Deborah continued to stay with the patient holding her hand. The patient was a DNR, which the nurse allowed me to be an ER nurse while she simply comforted the patient and spoke gently to her. We are all right here with you. The patient was deteriorating rapidly. Deborah continued to be in the moment with the patient assuring her that she would not leave her alone. As the moment of her passing neared, she continued to remain peaceful, continuing to hold her hand and remind her that we were here with her and as her heart rate slowed and her breathing became shallower, and Deborah did something amazing. She pulled out her phone and played the most beautiful rendition of "Amazing Grace" I had ever heard. And while that music played she continued to hold her hand as the patient slipped peacefully into eternity. Unfortunately, her family was not at the bedside and did not get here in time to be present with her, but Deborah was there with the patient. There is an old poem that starts out "If you can keep your head while all about you are losing theirs." That describes Deborah! When the patient's husband arrived to the room she embraced him and allowed him to cry on her shoulder. He embraced Deborah as he wept. She gave comfort to him and the team as well.
Deborah Pleasants is an amazing nurse who not only cares for our patients compassionately but supports her team. She is the epitome of what a compassionate nurse is all about. Her actions that night and well into the next morning in support of this patient and her team, I believe are examples of how she lives her life in alignment with the threefold ministry of Christ.