Lexus Serrano
November 2022
Lexus
Serrano
,
BSN, RN, CNI
Duke Raleigh
Duke University Health System
Durham
,
NC
United States
The actions taken by Lexus and her preceptor were both refreshing and touching to see.
Today, Lexus Serrano was caring for a patient at Duke Raleigh. This patient has extensive stage small cell lung cancer, with new progression of her disease. My colleague and I were consulted on this patient to discuss treatment options and review her imaging results with her. Unfortunately, in this scenario, our discussion was giving “bad news” and a life expectancy of 2 weeks to 2 months. When we arrived to the unit, Lexus and her preceptor approached us outside of the room and requested to be in the room during our discussion, specifically because they wanted to support the patient while we reviewed her imaging results, as the patient was very worried/concerned about the results. Additionally, they had printed out some healing/prayers/pictures, to post in the patient's room for comfort. Our discussion lasted about 1 hour in total, with Lexus and her preceptor both supporting the patient during this difficult discussion/time and never once appearing rushed/pressed for time.
Later in the day, I returned to answer some additional questions for the family. When I entered the room, the patient was sitting up in her BS chair, facing the window, with her family on the couch seats along the window. On the patient's bedside table, was a martini-looking glass, with strawberries in it. The patient was absolutely thrilled to show me her “martini” that your staff provided her with. You see, in our earlier/initial discussion, the patient expressed some of the “wants” that she had, prior to her death – one of them being a martini.
When taking into consideration that 3700 does not get a lot of exposure to cancer patients/end of life/difficult conversations - I just wanted to reach out to bring this to your attention, as we are sometimes so overrun with the day to day, that such truly thoughtful/meaningful gestures and efforts go unnoticed/unrecognized. We have both worked in Oncology for many years, but delivering bad news, never gets any easier. The actions taken by Lexus and her preceptor were both refreshing and touching to see. However, and most importantly, each of those seemingly small thoughtful gestures throughout the day really did mean the world to this patient, who just received the worst news of her life.
Later in the day, I returned to answer some additional questions for the family. When I entered the room, the patient was sitting up in her BS chair, facing the window, with her family on the couch seats along the window. On the patient's bedside table, was a martini-looking glass, with strawberries in it. The patient was absolutely thrilled to show me her “martini” that your staff provided her with. You see, in our earlier/initial discussion, the patient expressed some of the “wants” that she had, prior to her death – one of them being a martini.
When taking into consideration that 3700 does not get a lot of exposure to cancer patients/end of life/difficult conversations - I just wanted to reach out to bring this to your attention, as we are sometimes so overrun with the day to day, that such truly thoughtful/meaningful gestures and efforts go unnoticed/unrecognized. We have both worked in Oncology for many years, but delivering bad news, never gets any easier. The actions taken by Lexus and her preceptor were both refreshing and touching to see. However, and most importantly, each of those seemingly small thoughtful gestures throughout the day really did mean the world to this patient, who just received the worst news of her life.