Keegan never leaves his shift with unfinished work for the following nurse. He holds himself to a high standard to best provide for his patients, time and time again. Not only is he well loved by his colleagues, but our patients and families adore him. I think they can tell he goes the extra mile for them, even when it may be easier to choose an alternative. Keegan has a unique opportunity to connect with our male patients, particularly the teenagers, and he fully embraces this gift. When I received report one morning after his night shift, he nonchalantly mentioned something about his evening that stopped me in my tracks.
Keegan was taking care of a chronic, male patient who is no stranger to our floor. Unfortunately, the patient needed to have an NG tube placed overnight to provide feeds, a new experience for our patient. I can only imagine how difficult this news would be for a teenager, right smack in the middle of a difficult developmental stage.
Being the brave and independent boy that we love, our patient decided he wanted to put the NG tube in by himself. Keegan realized that he didn't want to just talk his patient through the steps, but to fully embrace the opportunity to empower this teenager in his self-care by choosing to lead by example and insert an NG tube into himself alongside his patient. This way he could provide the most tangible support possible in that difficult moment. He was able to walk step by step through every phase of the process.
I keep thinking how nonchalantly Keegan mentioned this part of his shift. He is humble and kind in all of his endeavors. Sometimes it can be hard to know how we can best support our patients and what may be helpful. Keegan Murphy seems always to find a way to connect, and in his typical fashion, he won't take the easy way out.