tara leblanc, RN

We had a patient who was in our unit for an extended period after surgery. He began to become very depressed about all of the post-op complications and being stuck in a room hooked to wires and staring at the same four walls. He had previously been too unstable to even ambulate outside the room. On the first day, he was able to maintain an appropriate oxygen saturation on portable oxygen, Tara took him and his wife out to the "sunroom" for a lunch date. They both had a chair and a bedside table and were facing each other. The patient was able to see the outside world and feel the heat from the sun through the windows. Tara checked on the patient and his wife throughout the "date" and "catered" to their every need in addition to frequent checks that he was able to maintain his oxygen saturation. The patient was so grateful and appreciative of this special gesture that Tara provided to him and his wife.