One of our elderly patients on the MSU with a history of dementia had an order to have a foley catheter placed due to extremely excoriated perineal skin and decubitus. The patient was very frightened by the procedure, and the required perineal care was painful due to her skin condition. Her nurse, Kirsty Steyn was able to solicit an order for IV pain medication prior to the procedure, but the patient remained anxious and confused. Kirsty enlisted the assistance of myself (nursing supervisor) and another MSU nurse, Brooke Travers, to help position and comfort the patient during the catheter insertion.
Kirsty knew from previous conversations that the patient was a Catholic and that she enjoyed spiritual music. Kirsty used her cell phone to play spiritual music as she talked softly to the patient, holding her hand. The patient visibly relaxed, which allowed us to complete the procedure.
After the procedure, I saw Brooke heading for the elevator. I asked her if she was heading to lunch. She told me that she had something in her car that she wanted to share with our patient. She returned within a few minutes with a rosary, which she brought to the patient. She said that she thought it would help the patient.
When I rounded on our patient later that afternoon, she was resting quietly, a rosary clutched in her hand. I was honored to have witnessed these two nurses working together to deliver personalized and compassionate care to a patient who needed some extra support! They exemplified each and every element of our DAISY criteria PETAALS:
P: Passion/Compassion: These nurses truly showed compassion for the situation and provided remarkable care!
E. Empathy, Encouraging: These nurses showed great empathy and encouraged the patient and family participation for the best possible outcome. These nurses allowed the family member to remain at the bedside because the patient seemed to want him nearby.
T. Trust and Teamwork: The bedside nurse explained the plan to all involved and allowed the patient's son to assist.
A. Assurance/Reassurance: The nurses provided frequent assurances to the patient and family before, during, and after this procedure.
A. Appreciation of Unique Meanings: These nurses had taken the time to learn about what was important to this patient. In this case, the support of her son at the bedside and the spiritual comfort of her faith were foremost.
L. Love for patient care and nursing: You can tell the nurse has a true love for the nursing profession, these two nurses exemplify this love of nursing by their actions.
S. Selflessness/Synergy: There is obvious selflessness on the part of the nurse. The nurse works in collaboration with others to improve the patient's care/condition. In this case, the nurses used a personal device to find and play soothing music and the nurse offered her own personal rosary as a gift to the patient.