In the short time that I have had the pleasure of working with Suzann, she has made a tremendous impact on my life as a nurse. From the time she clocks in for work, until the time she closes her eyes at night, she is always putting her patients first. I've known this since the very first day I began working with her, but today, she went above and beyond.
Working in Interventional Radiology, we take care of patients who often come back for multiple appointments; some even come twice a week. We sit with them, talk with them, feed them, learn about their families and friends, their pets, and we provide the BEST care to them. Along the way, we develop a love for them. We hear the good, the bad, and the ugly. We are here for them on their good days when they get their ports removed because they have beat cancer and no longer have to sit through 8 hours of chemo, and we are here for them on the hard days holding their hand during their biopsy only to be told that it is in fact cancer. Today was one of those "hard" days.
Over the past few months, we have been caring for a very special lady who took our hearts over so quickly. She came in to have a drain placed and kept having major issues with leakage. The patient and her sweet husband were coming in anywhere from every other day to every week to have the drain adjusted. Needless to say, we all grew to know the patient and her husband very well and they became family. She has been battling cancer for a while now and her little body is worn out. She is tired and she is ready to rest. Today, her husband called me in tears telling me about her decision. She was admitted overnight and she decided that the pain was intolerable and enough is enough. She wants peace.
I immediately grew tears in my eyes. Suzann was the very first person I told. I knew I was going to visit the patient on 6 South before I left work for the day, but I knew I couldn't go alone. Nurses are told to have barriers, to not take their work home with them, and to not get attached. That is so much easier said than done when it comes to the type of patients we care for. This patient wasn't the exception.
When we walked into the room, the patient teared up. I was already on the verge of crying. Suzann and I sat on the bed with her and just listened. Well, I just listened. Suzann spoke, and she spoke so beautifully. I can't even describe the energy that took over the room. It went from a room full of sadness to a room full of life and love. She spoke to the patient about only thinking about the little things in life, like looking at the stars each night and watching the sunrise each morning. She held the patient's hand with me and just guided her into this peaceful mindset that I don't think anyone else in the world could have talked her into. We cried, we laughed, and I think we all left the conversation with a new mindset. The patient's husband called me and thanked me for bringing Suzann to talk to his sweet little wife. They have been married for 37 years and their lives consist of nothing more than taking care of each other. My heart is shattering for both of them, but I know Suzann made such a huge impact on the patient and her husband. With that, my heart is happy.
If every nurse could be half of the nurse she is, patients would heal faster, be happier, and feel at peace. Suzann is the type of nurse that every little girl dreams of being, at least for me she is!