Lynn is exceptional at her job, not only does she do a fantastic job at her "expected" role, but she also goes above and beyond to make sure the needs of the Veterans and families on the Hospice Unit are met. Lynn diligently goes from Veteran to Veteran to offer Complimentary Integrative Health (CIH), helping them to understand, if they are unfamiliar with healing touch, aromatherapy, etc. She rounds each day on our Veterans to ensure their comfort. Lynn goes above and beyond daily but here are a few examples of her extraordinary care:
Lynn sat with a Veteran (without even telling staff) because he was anxious over his daughter leaving. She stayed with him and talked until he was calm and closed his eyes to sleep. The Veteran was familiar with her and felt comforted by her loving spirit.
Lynn volunteered to lead rounds on a Veteran who had a particularly difficult family. This family was struggling with the feeling "they had given up too soon". Lynn, who was a therapeutic voice of reason, gave the Veteran's wife a sense of comfort. Usually, only the MD or NP lead these rounds, but Lynn volunteered without hesitation.
Lynn has also volunteered on many separate occasions to assist me with patient care even when she was not providing CIH to that Veteran. Once Lynn walked into a room to provide Healing Touch and the Veteran was covered from head to toe in stool, Lynn calmly helped me clean him from start to finish and then provided the Healing Touch Session.
Lynn is always willing to lend a listening ear to our Veterans and their family members. I have heard her talking to families who aren't interested in CIH, but she provides emotional support, nonetheless. Lynn promotes CIH with each interaction she has with the Veterans to promote their optimal level of well-being. Lynn advocates for Veterans to try different approaches to comfort yet respects their decisions if they decline her offer. Lynn has a kind, compassionate, and beautiful spirit that we could all learn from.