Nicole and Melissa went above and beyond their normal transport duties on transport for McLaren Macomb, in their nursery. They were called to transport a critically ill neonate with CPR in progress. When the [PANDA One] team arrived, [the McLaren team] had stopped the resuscitation, because it was futile. The [McLaren Macomb] staff was clearly overwhelmed and had not [previously] experienced a death on their unit. Melissa held the baby, as it took a last breath. The [McLaren] nurses said that they didn’t know what to do next. Melissa and Nicole guided them through removing the endotracheal tube, bathing, dressing, and getting footprints and pictures of the baby. Melissa and Nicole helped them to take the baby to mom to hold.

Melissa and Nicole also explained [to the McLaren nurses], that they would need to wrap the baby to go to the morgue, have the doctor fill out the death certificate, and follow their hospital’s protocols for a death. They truly showed their expertise and demonstrated, by example, how to care for families of infants who have experienced a death. They modeled compassionate care of the patient, the nurses, and the mother of the baby.