Meghan B Litchfield, RN

While attending AACN's National Teaching Institute & Critical Care Exposition earlier this year, Ms. Litchfield learned about a nurse-driven protocol where fingerprints were made in a heart shape and given to the family of patients who passed away. The poster presented for this showed evidence of support and positive feedback from families. Recently, Ms. Litchfield developed a strong rapport with a veteran and his wife during a lengthy stay in the ICU. She strongly advocated for this patient and his family during the hospitalization, and she was there when the decision was made to change the code status to DNR and withdraw care. She asked the family if they would be okay if she made a version of what she learned at the Critical Care Exposition earlier in the year and they agreed. She provided them with the veteran's cardiac rhythm strip with his fingerprints made in the shape of a heart. The patient's wife and family had a positive response to this remembrance intervention. Ms. Litchfield also participated in a pinning ceremony at the time of care withdrawal and later an honor walk for this veteran and his family.