I am going to tell you one story about two extraordinary and compassionate nurses on what was one of my saddest days in our hospital: Stephanie Hernandez from out NICU and Nikki Burson from our Med/Surg ICU. It was going to be a sad and heartbreaking day, everyone knew that after all it isn't every day that a young wife/mother and her 5-day old infant have life support withdrawn together. I myself felt lost in the hours leading up to the withdrawals of mom and her baby. As I talked with staff that day many acknowledge that they felt numb and unsure how to feel; this day was one of their saddest. With all of that known both Nikki and Stephanie chose to care for these patients and their family that day. They could have easily let some other nurses take this case, the withdrawals were planned, but yet they chose to make this sad and heartbreaking day as beautiful as they could through their expertise and compassion.
When I arrived at the NICU that morning Stephanie was doing her best to care for that beautiful baby boy. She cleaned him, picked out an outfit, a burial gown and made footprints and handprints. Not just one set of prints, she made prints for all of the baby's siblings, each by name, and specially made for them. She continued to make that day beautiful by working with Nikki and going up to the 11th floor before family had arrived to obtain a mold of mom's hand and with this mold and a mold of baby boy's foot she made a plaster mold that had mom's handprint with baby's footprint in her palm which she later decorated with blue glitter to present to the family as a way to honor their memory.
When I made my way to the 11th floor to check in with that staff, I did not find Nikki at her station outside. Nikki was in the room with a simple plastic comb, combing the patient's hair doing her best to make her beautiful. The patient's hair was a mess and using a simple plastic comb Nikki painstakingly took the time to make the patient beautiful by getting out the knots and glue (from the EEG) for her family who would be coming soon. As the morning went on Nikki had to face a large number of sad and grieving family and friends as they all came to say goodbye all while facing her own emotions of that day.
When the moment came the NICU team and the Med/Surg team came together and surrounded by the mother's and baby's husband/father, children and other family members withdrew care and the family began to grieve. Stephanie took photos of baby and mother together in their final moments and Nikki continued to help facilitate family members as they entered and exited the room.
I have little doubt that those of us present that day will ever forget it. The heaviness and sadness is something that we as a team will recall years from now even as the family has long left our lives, and only a memory remains. And though the family will not remember the names of these two incredible young woman, they will not forget their compassionate and empathetic presence from that day. As they look at the handprints and footprints they will remember their sadness and heartache and the two women who were in their lives for only a moment to make something sad, beautiful in a way that only they could.
Thank you, Stephanie and Nikki, for your expertise and compassionate clinical care of our patients and families.