Kelly was caring for a patient who was a long term patient of multiple units at the hospital with many chronic diseases including cancer and heart disease for which he was end-stage. The patient was extremely depressed because he had spent more months of the last year in the hospital than outside of it. During his extended stay the staff tried everything they could to lift his spirits. On this hectic weekend Kelly offered to push the patient outside in a wheelchair to get some fresh air in hopes of brightening his day. She did this both days of the weekend even though she was very busy and it would have been easy to push it off as "not having time." His needs were identified by Kelly and she took it upon herself to find the time to take him outside.

On Sunday she went above and beyond when she arranged with his wife to have the family dog meet them outside. When the patient saw his dog he openly wept that he didn't even think his dog remembered him and how much it meant. Kelly noticed the dog was scared of the wheelchair and couldn't really get to his owner so she took the legs of the wheelchair off and the dog was able to lay his head and paws on the patient's lap for cuddle time. The patient and wife cried together in the moment and it even made the nurse cry.

The incredible thing about her story is the fact that Kelly put the individualized needs of the patient first at a time when he didn't have long to live. She used the moment to try to get the patient and wife on the same page for a plan of care. There had been a struggle with the patient wanting to be let go and the wife wanting to do everything possible for him. Kelly hoped that this moment of raw emotion and having something from their home life (the dog) would help start discussions. It worked and a week or so later the patient went home with hospice.