I just want to tell you a story. There was a man with a very difficult wound to treat as a result of Squamous Cell Cancer of the head and neck. This man was very stoic but pleasant. His wife was a loving wife who only wanted to honor her husband's wishes. The man, unfortunately, had a tumor that invaded the carotid artery causing profuse bleeding that could not be stopped. The nursing staff and techs worked tirelessly to try to get the bleeding to stop. They literally held pressure to the man's neck for hours (about 3-4 hours total). They hung blood, pressors, IV fluids, and watched and listened to the man as he expressed that he wanted to be made comfortable and go to sleep. He expressed that he was ready to go. His wife, sister, and in-laws were all there holding his hand as the Morphine drip was hung and he drifted off to sleep. They covered the wound with a drainage bag to hopefully catch the blood if it began to bleed once more so that he and his wife could feel that he wouldn't get cold. The wife did not want to watch her husband lying in a pool of blood. He was bathed and cleaned up. With tears in their eyes and as the family said prayers and told the man that it was ok, the staff silently mourned for the man and his family.
I can tell you honestly that in all of my years as a nurse, I don't think I have seen a group of nurses, techs, and staff put so much care, emotion, and heart into a dying patient. They are skilled, caring, and selfless. They could have easily walked away and not dealt with the situation, but they didn't. For the nurses and staff who were not directly involved with the man's care, they did participate indirectly. They were there to care for the patients of the staff who were caring for the man. They "held down the fort" so that no person suffered for lack of care. They lent emotional and moral support to each other. I was a very proud leader of your staff last night. I am impressed with each one. I hope you will express to them all for me as well as the family, how truly blessed I feel and the family expressed to me what an impact they each made in the life and situation we all encountered. My heart goes out to the nursing team and the patient's family. I know this will impact them for the rest of their lives. I hope they will all remember that they helped a man and his family at the worst time of their lives and made a really sad time, one in which was tolerable.