Early Monday morning, we had a patient come in by EMS, minimally responsive, being ventilated by the medics. It was clear that the patient was nearing the end of life. She had a DNR in place, and the decision was made not to continue aggressive measures.  She had no family listed in the chart, and no visitors arrived for her.  Per record review, she was recently admitted to the hospital and discharged to a nursing home after it was determined she could no longer live at home alone with only her dog as a companion.
 
Once confirmation was achieved regarding the patient's code status, I left the room to document.  When I returned, I was surprised to see both Denice and Kristen still in the room at the patient's bedside.  Denise and Kristen both cared for this patient with the same intensity as they would a patient undergoing a resuscitation.  Neither of them stepped out, even for a moment.  She passed quickly, but peacefully, in the ED.  As she took her last breath, she had a nurse on both sides of her, holding each of her hands, reassuring her everything would be ok.  It was a beautiful, compassionate gesture that exemplifies the core of our mission- to care for patients and extend the healing ministry of Christ.  
 
It is sometimes easy to forget why we do this job, especially in the chaos of a busy ED.  On this particular shift, I was reminded by these outstanding individuals.