My mother-in-law passed away at St. Joe's Hospital. She had made the decision earlier that day to go on comfort care. As a nurse myself I was at a loss of how to comfort my husband's family and not having had very much experience with hospice or comfort care myself wasn't able to provide much insight from a nursing standpoint. It was an incredibly difficult experience for my husband and sister-in-law who lost their father at a young age and now sat in despair at the bedside as they also lost their mother who was succumbing to COVID interstitial lung disease superimposed on an autoimmune disease. It has been a whirlwind the last few weeks.

They asked me to make sure the nurse who cared for their mother last was recognized for the incredible job she did. Lakota took time to explain in clear terms how the night would go, how oxygen would be gradually weaned, and that pain and anxiety medicine would be routinely given. She prepared them for the irregular breathing and sounds that may occur at the very end. Most of all they felt the nurse Lakota treated her with the utmost dignity even though she was sleeping through the night. Lakota explained the medication and spoke to her before giving the medications. During one of the darkest hours of their lives Lakota's manner was like a lifeline to keep the family resilient. Such high professionalism and excellence during a life event like this should certainly be recognized. It literally still provides the family with comfort to know that Sheila passed exactly in the way she wanted to- surrounded by family and a compassionate nurse peacefully and without pain.