I was approached by this nurse as he was concerned that he was "overstepping" his role in the MICU. To explain: He was assigned a Covid patient that RRT'd from another floor that had been emergently intubated. Her prognosis was poor. Her family (2 sons) concurring with both nursing and physicians that the plan would be to compassionately extubate her given her age, and previous wishes although not official, but shared with both her sons and her husband of 60 plus years. In addition to this life-altering situation, her husband in his 90s, was a patient upstairs, a marine by history, and who was also her caregiver who was also Covid-positive. The couple was admitted after her husband fell while trying to assist his wife off the floor of their home.

This nurse's request was to have the husband ok'd to visit his wife so that the family would have a final moment together before the inevitable. To further elaborate...he, with the assistance of our physical therapist, quietly and respectfully brought the husband and dad to his wife's room, allowing him and his sons family time and support as both wife and mother quietly expired moments after she was extubated. The moment was quiet, personal, and intimate. Both her sons and her husband expressed gratitude. This nurse and PT took the man back to his room, spent some time with the widowed man, and proceeded on with his assignment as needed.

To note...the dad then passed away a few days later. Sadly, the boys buried both parents together. How selfless of this nurse to know what needed to be done in this uniquely sad situation to ultimately allow such love to be shared until the end and to eternity. Both sons shared their heartfelt gratitude to this nurse for his obvious compassion and dedication to his role as an ICU nurse...well deserved.