Elizabeth Ford
June 2024
Elizabeth
Ford
,
BSN, RN
CV/SICU
Bayhealth
Dover
,
DE
United States
Her response brought tears to my eyes when she said, "No, I'm staying to take him to the OR." My family also shed tears over this. She spent 24 hours in two days caring for my brother incessantly and when it came time for her to go home, she made a conscious decision to extend her shift another 4 hours.
Lizz showed tremendous compassion to my family during an incredibly low and difficult time for us. She treated her patient (my brother) and our entire family with both respect and integrity by the way she provided care and how she included family in her care.
My brother was admitted to Bayhealth on Saturday. He was in critical condition and he remained so for his entire stay. Lizz was his nurse on Sunday and Monday. She was incredibly responsive during her time with my family and there were certain aspects of her care that struck me particularly as I have been in the nursing field for 15 years with my last 4 and a half years spent as a nurse practitioner.
The pump running the vasopressors went off, it rang a few minutes. I went out to the desk and didn't see Lizz, but asked another nurse to adjust it. Lizz heard my voice and popped up immediately from around a corner where she was busy and came to the room. She took the time to explain why it had gone off and why it would continue to go off. I would see her in the room, sometimes spending nearly an hour in there, providing extensive care, diligently checking her medication drips, and giving family members updates by answering what she could.
My brother was pronounced braindead Sunday evening. As a family, we chose to gift the organs in his body to not let his death be in vain and to help others live on. I know personally that this is no easy feat for the providers, including the nurses. His code status was returned to full code to allow attempts at resuscitation only for the purpose of organ donation. I too, have personally been bedside, making desperate attempts at preserving a patient for this sake. I know the limitations and the emotional, physical, and mental distress this can cause despite knowing that the futility of potentially providing chest compressions to someone who has no functional outcome or chance at life has gone away, and now you will be saving upwards of 5+ patients with the organs you are keeping perfused.
I sat with the Gift of Life representative, discussing consent with her and my nephew, who will now be burying his father, and during this, I watched Lizz run in and out of the room what seemed like a hundred times. My brother's vital signs were incredibly labile, and I watched Lizz advocate for him with the providers, and I watched her then approach the Gift of Life representative to keep her aware. During her titrations, which required her in the room sometimes in intervals of 2-10 minutes, she continued to suction, she continued to reposition and provide immaculate, fine detailed care that too many times is overlooked by families, patients, and other members of the healthcare system.
On Monday, the organs eligible for donation were allocated to the patients that they would go to, and I seemed to realize at about 5 pm with a 10 pm OR time, that this nurse, my family, and I had developed an incredible trust and rapport with, would not be here for us at that moment. She came in just as I realized, and I asked if she was leaving us at 7, which was the typical shift change. Her response brought tears to my eyes when she said, "No, I'm staying to take him to the OR." My family also shed tears over this. She spent 24 hours in two days caring for my brother incessantly and when it came time for her to go home, she made a conscious decision to extend her shift another 4 hours. Sixteen-hour shifts are not for the weary; they are sometimes excruciating, and I imagine that this sensitive situation made it more difficult for her. She started prepping him for the OR that evening and she watched my family during an incredibly intimate moment, as we all sat taking turns talking to him, including his young daughters, saying goodbyes.
This was the second brother I will have to lay to rest, and the moments that give family peace in the hospital course are the ones where you are assured that your loved one is getting amazing care, predominantly from the nursing standpoint. My family will always remember the comfort, compassion and respect that Lizz had for us and how she even tried to complete little offerings and tasks of offering things like fresh coffee during an unfortunately busy and tiring day for us and herself. We will always remember that my brother's final moments were truly in the hands of a phenomenal, dedicated nurse who went the extra mile.
My brother was admitted to Bayhealth on Saturday. He was in critical condition and he remained so for his entire stay. Lizz was his nurse on Sunday and Monday. She was incredibly responsive during her time with my family and there were certain aspects of her care that struck me particularly as I have been in the nursing field for 15 years with my last 4 and a half years spent as a nurse practitioner.
The pump running the vasopressors went off, it rang a few minutes. I went out to the desk and didn't see Lizz, but asked another nurse to adjust it. Lizz heard my voice and popped up immediately from around a corner where she was busy and came to the room. She took the time to explain why it had gone off and why it would continue to go off. I would see her in the room, sometimes spending nearly an hour in there, providing extensive care, diligently checking her medication drips, and giving family members updates by answering what she could.
My brother was pronounced braindead Sunday evening. As a family, we chose to gift the organs in his body to not let his death be in vain and to help others live on. I know personally that this is no easy feat for the providers, including the nurses. His code status was returned to full code to allow attempts at resuscitation only for the purpose of organ donation. I too, have personally been bedside, making desperate attempts at preserving a patient for this sake. I know the limitations and the emotional, physical, and mental distress this can cause despite knowing that the futility of potentially providing chest compressions to someone who has no functional outcome or chance at life has gone away, and now you will be saving upwards of 5+ patients with the organs you are keeping perfused.
I sat with the Gift of Life representative, discussing consent with her and my nephew, who will now be burying his father, and during this, I watched Lizz run in and out of the room what seemed like a hundred times. My brother's vital signs were incredibly labile, and I watched Lizz advocate for him with the providers, and I watched her then approach the Gift of Life representative to keep her aware. During her titrations, which required her in the room sometimes in intervals of 2-10 minutes, she continued to suction, she continued to reposition and provide immaculate, fine detailed care that too many times is overlooked by families, patients, and other members of the healthcare system.
On Monday, the organs eligible for donation were allocated to the patients that they would go to, and I seemed to realize at about 5 pm with a 10 pm OR time, that this nurse, my family, and I had developed an incredible trust and rapport with, would not be here for us at that moment. She came in just as I realized, and I asked if she was leaving us at 7, which was the typical shift change. Her response brought tears to my eyes when she said, "No, I'm staying to take him to the OR." My family also shed tears over this. She spent 24 hours in two days caring for my brother incessantly and when it came time for her to go home, she made a conscious decision to extend her shift another 4 hours. Sixteen-hour shifts are not for the weary; they are sometimes excruciating, and I imagine that this sensitive situation made it more difficult for her. She started prepping him for the OR that evening and she watched my family during an incredibly intimate moment, as we all sat taking turns talking to him, including his young daughters, saying goodbyes.
This was the second brother I will have to lay to rest, and the moments that give family peace in the hospital course are the ones where you are assured that your loved one is getting amazing care, predominantly from the nursing standpoint. My family will always remember the comfort, compassion and respect that Lizz had for us and how she even tried to complete little offerings and tasks of offering things like fresh coffee during an unfortunately busy and tiring day for us and herself. We will always remember that my brother's final moments were truly in the hands of a phenomenal, dedicated nurse who went the extra mile.