Lucy was assigned to a patient with a planned compassionate extubation during this shift. I would check in with her numerous times prior to the family arriving to the unit. As the day went by, the window shades were shut to give the grieving family members privacy. I was Lucy’s runner, getting her any items or medications that were needed for this patient, trying to minimize the distraction of coming in and out of the room. When I finally entered the room a few hours later, I was surprised to find Lucy alone in the room with the patient in her arms. Lucy was sitting up in a chair, holding her patient close to her body as she stroked his hair and cheeks. She had left her phone playing beautiful music, but all her attention was on him. You would hear Lucy tell him, “M, You are so loved, your mama loves you, your dad loves you, we all love you,” she would kiss the top of his head (while wearing her mask) and say, “it’s okay, you can go, be at Heaven, you can rest.” Lucy had been holding him for the past hour after the family had left as he held on. Lucy promised the father that his son would not pass alone and she would be there by his side. She recited a prayer, “that we come on to this Earth to love and to be loved,” and she told her patient, “M, YOU are loved, you are SO LOVED.”  Soon after, Lucy had “that feeling” and requested the doctor. The doctor came in, kneeled next to Lucy, and placed his stethoscope over M’s heart. We all held our breath as he listened, and eventually pronounced him. Lucy let the biggest sigh of relief and held him tighter in her arms knowing now that he is at peace. Lucy did not leave M’s side and kept her promise to the very end. 

At the end of the shift, Lucy and I debriefed about the day. I commended her on what an amazing job she did for M and his family. I asked if she was okay. Lucy just said that she felt “heavy” but felt honored and thankful to be M’s nurse on his last day. Lucy may not have known her patient for long, but she dedicated everything she had for him and his family that day. There’s so many different types of nursing and nurses out there. Being in the NICCU and essentially being categorized as an ICU nurse, we tend to measure ourselves based on how critical the patients are, the more equipment, the sicker your patients are, the higher the acuity it is. But on the other hand, there’s an unspoken category we don’t mention often, how many times have you experienced withdrawing care. We want to always look at how many lives we can save, but we also need to acknowledge the patients with whom we help transition to the afterlife. Lucy is that special type of nurse who doesn’t necessarily seek to be the high acuity, action-packed kind of nurse but the type of nurse that takes chronic patients with highly anxious parents. She is the quiet and thoughtful nurse who helps calm the parents who are so worried about their child that they forget to take care of themselves. Lucy is the type of nurse who embodies what a DAISY Nurse is, one who provides extraordinary care and compassion to their patients. She shows love and dedication to her profession. And Lucy inspires all of us to go that extra mile for all our patients and families. Thank you, Lucy, for all that you do.