October 2022
Jacqueline P
Thomas
,
BSN, RN, CCRN
Critical Care
Providence Portland Medical Center
Portland
,
OR
United States
Jacqueline's combination of medical knowledge and experience and her compassion helped me get through one of the worst days of my life.
My 42-year-old brother was admitted with stomach pains which were diagnosed as pancreatitis in the emergency department. His condition very quickly worsened and he ended up on a ventilator in the critical care department with septic shock later that day. All the staff were extremely compassionate, but Jacqueline stood out in her attention to detail, thoughtful words, and extremely thorough explanations for what was happening. She was patient and explained what the various medications and equipment were all doing to keep my brother alive, how they interacted with each other, and what was likely going on as my brother fought to stay alive. As his condition worsened, she raised his feet and tried everything to keep his blood pressure up. When it became clear that he was not going to make it, and I had to decide to turn off the vasopressors that were keeping his heart beating, she was incredibly compassionate, and she helped to make me feel like I was making the right decision. She stood there with me by his bedside and held his other hand while he died two days after being admitted to the hospital. Jacqueline's combination of medical knowledge and experience and her compassion helped me get through one of the worst days of my life. I felt like she cared about my brother and me and she went far beyond what I expected and have experienced in hospitals in the past.