This is not a story that has a joyful ending. However, this is a true story that illustrates the commitment and dedication that exemplifies the nursing culture here at Saint Peter's.
It was a standard afternoon in the Pediatric ER; our staff was ably handling coughs, sniffles, injuries, and the like, when they received the call that everyone dreads: a squad was en route with a child, CPR was in progress. The team assembled somberly and readied for the incoming family.
They knew that their knowledge, skill, and resolve, would be needed to handle what was to come. What they received was a drama that no family should endure, and no bystander or staff should witness. A small, previously healthy child endured a devastating trauma and was in full cardiac arrest. No amount of CPR or medication could resuscitate this poor toddler and the staff soon realized that their efforts were futile.
Melissa Kube was in charge that fateful afternoon and was the nurse who stood at the bedside ministering to this poor baby girl.
As most of the staff, registrars, techs, and ancillary personnel began to tearfully clear from the room to allow the family time with their child, Melissa stayed behind. She provided solace to the family and made sure that they could comfortably say goodbye to their little girl. While most of us listened to the sounds of grief coming from behind the glass doors, she immersed herself in this family's pain and connected with them in a way few would understand. As the afternoon wore on, we allowed this family their privacy. She remained ever diligent, continually checking in on them and providing them with whatever they needed.
Melissa promised the grieving family that she would stay with their daughter so that she would not be left alone until she was ready for transport. She stayed with the little girl well beyond her shift's end, as she had promised a family in devastation. It was not until our patient was transported away from our facility that Melissa allowed herself to leave, but not before breaking down herself. She cried in the hallway as they took the child. She cried, not because she knew this child or her family, but because she is a truly compassionate human being. She stayed past her shift because she is a nurse who honors the lives who are in her hands, even if they cannot be saved. She cried because even though she is a veteran nurse who has seen it all, she is still affected by the pain of others. She cried because her empathy makes her the embodiment of a Saint Peter's Nurse.