This is is our story about who we consider our Guardian Angel through a very tough time in our lives. We had our first contact with Steph on August 15. She called my husband, K, to give him some information about his brother J: who they had just started the CRRT on. We were just leaving Grand Forks at that time to be with Jeff. Steph explained his vitals to us and let us know that the CRRT had been started and that his blood pressure had taken a big dip when the CRRT had been started, but stayed on the phone with K and told him that the blood pressure continued to come back up. She also informed K and myself that lab tests had been drawn and results would be back shortly. At that time, we told her we would be there shortly, and she told us to come right back to his room and gave us the room number.
When we arrived at Sanford, we were greeted at the front and sent up to the appropriate floor. As we arrived, Steph was in the room monitoring J's condition. She stopped what she was doing and introduced herself with a bright smile and started to give us all the information that she could. She explained what everything in the room was and what it was doing for J. She had a very compassionate feeling about her and was very warm in her delivery. The way she acted showed that she had a lot of emotion and empathy for her patients. She never once referred to J as the patient and always called him by name. She took the time to answer all of our questions we were asking her and also let us know that talking to him was great and comforting for J. My husband was by his brother's side the whole night. He kept telling Steph to let him know when he was in the way and he would move. She responded to him with a smile saying, "you are not in the way and I can work around you". She was so sweet.
During that night, Steph talked to us about our family and about her family. She let us know that she had a little girl and how it was being a mother. Knowing she has this kind of compassion for her patients' shows that she is going to be an excellent mother too. It was also during this time that K found out that their mother had been admitted to the hospital down in Northfield, MN, and Steph was also aware of this and asked if there was anything else she could do.
As the night went on, Steph continued to do everything needed to help J. She took labs every 4 hours and checked on the results as soon as they were available. She let us know when she was administering boluses of Sodium to J and what it was for. She would explain the lab results and what they meant. During this time, the CRRT clotted and Steph asked if we wanted to continue this (it had only run for 3 hours the first round). My husband was asked if he wanted to continue the CRRT and we did. That time, the CRRT only lasted 20 minutes. Steph continued to monitor all aspects of J. Once again, Steph asked if we wanted to continue the CRRT, and we asked her what this was doing for him and what would happen if we stopped it. After having Steph explain this to us K made the decision to discontinue the CRRT. It was with a heavy heart that he did this, but with Steph's explanation, it was understandable. K stood and watched the monitors the whole night and Steph was right there explaining the numbers to him. We asked Steph what J would be like if he came out of this, and she stated that from what she had seen in the past, he would have a very long rehab in-front of him and at this point chances were he would not pull through. She explained what happens to the brain and body when the blood pressure drops. Her explanations were always put in ways that we could understand.
Around 2:30am, K and I took a walk in the hospital to talk. When we got back to the room, we asked Steph if she could get the Critical Care doctor so K could ask some questions and also if the clergy of Sanford could come up to see us. The doctor was on the phone and not in the hospital, so Steph asked if we wanted to talk to him on the phone, and we decided not to. Steph received orders to do comfort cares if we wanted to make that decision. She also made sure that the clergy was coming up to see us. She kept paging them and had to find out who was on-call for the clergy. At that time, we went out for one more walk. When we came back, Steph met us at the door of Critical Care that the clergy was there to see us. We spoke with her for a few minutes, and she provided a short bed-side service for J and us. Steph gave us that time alone with the clergy. She came back in when this was completed.
It was at this time; K gave his final wishes for his brother. Steph has a big heart and is very professional, but she also had a tear in her eye when K was letting her know what needed to be done to keep J comfortable. This was a very difficult decision for K to make with his brother's life, he chose to have J taken off the ventilator and have the medications suspended, so J could pass on his own. We could not stay to watch J pass on, but Steph said she would stay and hold J's hand until he passed away. As we left, Steph gave both of us a hug and cried with us too. She told us he will not be alone. We asked her to call us as soon as he passed. At 4 am, Steph called us and informed us that J had passed at 3:43am, and that he was not alone because both herself and the respiratory therapist were there with him. Steph also let us know that he only lasted 8 minutes after all the artificial means supporting him were taken off. You could tell by her voice that this was also very hard for her to tell us, but we appreciated all of the information she gave. She asked if we were OK, as she knew we were on the road going back home.
We would like to say what a wonderful, professional, and compassionate nurse, Steph is. If it was not for how she acts with her patients, this would have been even more difficult than it was. You have an exceptional nurse and we consider her our guardian angel that we needed at that time. We are very thankful to learn that this was also Steph second night back to the Critical Care Unit. We couldn't have been luckier than to have Steph there with us.