I met Patty about a year ago this month. From the start I found her to be one of the most inspiring nurses I had ever come into contact with in my ten-years in healthcare. Her ability to compassionately connect with patients and their families has been deeply inspiring to my own practice as a nurse. But the instance that has inspired me to write this nomination touched me not only as a nurse but as a mother and wife.
Patty took over the care of a patient who had suffered a mysterious seizure that left her with devastating anoxic brain injury. The young woman was being kept on life support, however, the prognosis had clearly become grim. This lovely woman's bed was flanked with a teary-eyed, shocked family. Her husband, adult sons, mother, and in-laws were beside themselves unable to comprehend the horror that faced them. Perhaps the most heartbreaking part was the family member that was not at the bedside, her seven-year-old daughter.
Patty with her reassuring, confident demeanor swept into their lives that weekend like an angel to help them close a heartbreaking chapter. She spent hours sitting side by side with each family member answering their questions and helping them come to terms with the painful decisions ahead of them. She navigated the team behind the scenes, creating a unified support system for the family. She ensured that there would be no regret but peace in the family's decision to turn off life-support.
Now what she did next took my breath away and I could no longer hold back my tears. This lovely woman's husband was heartbroken for his daughter to how to best help her understand the insurmountable loss that was to come. Patty held his hand and told him that it would be alright, that she would help him. Patty learned all she could about the little girl through her family. She helped them to set up support at the girl's school, a familiar face that would always be there to help console her. She put together coloring pages and used the girl's favorite character, Doc McStuffins, to help her understand the death of her mother. She took the time to answer all her questions and to counsel her family on how to continue to answer the inevitable future questions. Ms. Patty snuck in late lunches, stayed late each night to catch up on charting, continued to serve the physical needs of all her patients, and had restless nights. I could see the courage on her face, and it was inspiring.