On a Friday evening, one of our palliative care patients was waiting for a transfer to Christopher House with Hospice Austin. He was believed to be in the last days of his life (and he did, indeed, die on the following Monday).

The patient had five adult children, and one had been his primary caregiver. The others had not been involved as deeply in his care, and were very anxious as they were in his room and the reality of his prognosis became clear to them. It was easy to see how NERVOUS his loved ones were.

Lily was his nurse that evening, and I observed her repeatedly walk into the room, gently care for the patient, explaining what she was assessing and how she was responding, and reassuring his nervous family. Each time she left the room, one of them would say, "Lily is awesome." I agree. She was JUST the right nurse to care for them.

When there were no "medical interventions" called for, Lily offered to put lavender oil into the patient's lotion, saying that she didn't want the lotion to smell "like a nursing home." You would have thought she had all the time in the world. Imagine my surprise when I walked out of the room to thank her, and heard one of her nursing colleagues thanking Lily for help with one of the patients on the floor who was NOT assigned to Lily, while her colleague responded to another need. Lily is AMAZING.