Our unit has a patient who has now been with us for >100 days, and to say she has been through a terrible time would be an understatement. She is young, only 47-years old and has been fighting for her life most of her stay in our hospital. Just prior to her birthday, the provider team and the patient's family began to have palliative care discussions and were planning to have this discussion with the patient in the upcoming days.
During this same time one of our nurses, Melissa Fornes, learned that this patient's birthday was coming up. Melissa reached out to our team members and coordinated a special celebration for this patient on her special day. She purchased balloons, streamers and party hats and she decorated the patient's room for her birthday! The unit leadership team pitched in and purchased the patient some warm, cozy socks and a nice blanket for her hospital bed. Melissa also worked with the provider team and arranged for the patient to have a cupcake and a strawberry milkshake from Cookout, which one of our APP's went to get for her- note that this patient was surviving on TPN and clear liquids/sips only, so a milkshake and a cupcake were an extra special treat! Melissa gathered our entire unit's team together and we donned our PPE (Yellow Gowns for Everyone!) and our party hats and we gathered in her room to sing Happy Birthday to her. Our unit leadership, nurse aids, nurses, physical and occupational therapy and our case managers were all present around her bed to sing to her on her special day! She loved her strawberry milkshake and her cupcake!
Even though the discussion about palliative care did take place in the next few days, our team felt great knowing that we helped make this special lady smile on her birthday all thanks to Melissa coordinating this special moment!