October 2009
Sarah
Baker
,
BSN, RN
NICU
Le Bonheur Children's Hospital
Memphis
,
TN
United States
Sarah cared for a 5 month old baby boy who had been acutely ill in the NICU for his entire life. His prognosis was poor. He had a twin brother and 2 year old sibling who lived with his parents an hour an a half away. Every day that Sarah cared for this baby (whose parents were unable to visit often), she treated this baby as if her were her own. When the parents decided upon to make the baby a DNR and to provide no further escalating therapies, Sarah gave the baby a soothing aromatic bath and took care of the other children so the parents could stay with the infant while he was dying. She offered the most compasionate and comforting care possible to this family who was struggling with their decision.