Miguel Alegre
June 2025
Miguel
Alegre
,
RN, BSN
Faith 3
Covenant Medical Center
Lubbock
,
TX
United States
Miguel offered to include the husband as an act of love and as a way that a deeply devoted spouse might feel a little less helpless in the midst of watching his wife pass away.
I had a hospice patient admitted to the hospital for symptom management. Her symptoms were so severe and refractory to our usual interventions that we moved her to SICU because she needed higher/more intense nursing interventions than our Pall Med Unit was able to provide (Pall Med had done a FABULOUS job for 5 days!!!). The patient spent 3 days in the ICU before her death. I spoke with her husband this morning, 11 days after her death, and he relayed this story to me about my patient's nurse, Miguel Alegre, her last 2 days in ICU.
On Friday evening, Miguel asked the patient's husband if he wanted to help Miguel give the patient a bath. Miguel made sure that her husband knew this was not a requirement, but Miguel had come to appreciate the love the husband had and showed for his wife. Miguel offered to include the husband as an act of love and as a way that a deeply devoted spouse might feel a little less helpless in the midst of watching his wife pass away. Miguel even said, "Let's get her cleaned up, fix her hair, and put her in a clean gown so she'll feel better." That moment will stay with her husband for the rest of his life. But it didn't end there.
Miguel was again the patient's bedside nurse the next day when she passed away. Her husband had left an hour or so before her passing to return home and freshen up after spending the night with her. The patient had a sudden change in her vitals, and Miguel immediately called her husband and informed him of the changes. The patient died a few short minutes later, and unfortunately, her husband was about 30 minutes away from the hospital. When he returned, Miguel offered to stay in the room with him or give him the time he needed. The patient's husband stayed for about 90 minutes after his arrival, saying his final goodbye. In my conversation with him this morning, he clearly recalled the details of these two interactions with Miguel. These sacred encounters are moments that will stay with the husband for the rest of his life. Miguel went above and beyond in those moments to help ensure his patient and her husband received the very best care possible. Thank you, Miguel. Truly, every moment matters.
On Friday evening, Miguel asked the patient's husband if he wanted to help Miguel give the patient a bath. Miguel made sure that her husband knew this was not a requirement, but Miguel had come to appreciate the love the husband had and showed for his wife. Miguel offered to include the husband as an act of love and as a way that a deeply devoted spouse might feel a little less helpless in the midst of watching his wife pass away. Miguel even said, "Let's get her cleaned up, fix her hair, and put her in a clean gown so she'll feel better." That moment will stay with her husband for the rest of his life. But it didn't end there.
Miguel was again the patient's bedside nurse the next day when she passed away. Her husband had left an hour or so before her passing to return home and freshen up after spending the night with her. The patient had a sudden change in her vitals, and Miguel immediately called her husband and informed him of the changes. The patient died a few short minutes later, and unfortunately, her husband was about 30 minutes away from the hospital. When he returned, Miguel offered to stay in the room with him or give him the time he needed. The patient's husband stayed for about 90 minutes after his arrival, saying his final goodbye. In my conversation with him this morning, he clearly recalled the details of these two interactions with Miguel. These sacred encounters are moments that will stay with the husband for the rest of his life. Miguel went above and beyond in those moments to help ensure his patient and her husband received the very best care possible. Thank you, Miguel. Truly, every moment matters.