Thomas Peak
July 2024
Thomas
Peak
,
BSN, RN
Emergency Department
Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Boston
,
MA
United States
We are extremely grateful that Tom treated my mother with respect and provided exceptional care during her final hours.
My mother was admitted to the Brigham and Women’s Emergency Department on a Thursday. On Friday, her care transitioned to “comfort measures only” while under Tom’s care. Although she was days from her 92nd birthday, this came as a shock to my family. For the last 28 years, she has had numerous serious medical issues, but her strength, faith, and love of her family always pulled her through.
We are extremely grateful that Tom treated my mother with respect and provided exceptional care during her final hours. He was very calming, not only to my mother but also to her family: me, my father, and my five siblings. Although my mother was restless and seemingly incoherent, Tom still explained to her every action he was taking for her. During her restlessness, she kept trying to remove her hospital gown, and Tom made every effort to keep her covered and her privacy intact. Once the transition to comfort measures only occurred, my mother received her Last Rites, we were able to pray together for her, and then while surrounded by her family, she breathed her last breath. We thought it was a blessing that she did not have to linger on for hours/days while her body shut down. Throughout this entire time, Tom worked around us while we prayed with her, never interrupting us, but still performing all his nursing tasks. He patiently answered all our questions and looked out for us, too, and ordered Bereavement trays because he knew we had not eaten all day.
On behalf of my family, we are nominating Tom for the DAISY Award. Over the last 28 years, my mother has endured countless medical treatments and hospital stays and was treated by 100s of nurses; Tom stood out from all the others with his compassion, respectfulness, and professionalism. We consider ourselves truly blessed that Tom was my mother’s nurse during her final hours, and for that, we will be forever grateful.
We are extremely grateful that Tom treated my mother with respect and provided exceptional care during her final hours. He was very calming, not only to my mother but also to her family: me, my father, and my five siblings. Although my mother was restless and seemingly incoherent, Tom still explained to her every action he was taking for her. During her restlessness, she kept trying to remove her hospital gown, and Tom made every effort to keep her covered and her privacy intact. Once the transition to comfort measures only occurred, my mother received her Last Rites, we were able to pray together for her, and then while surrounded by her family, she breathed her last breath. We thought it was a blessing that she did not have to linger on for hours/days while her body shut down. Throughout this entire time, Tom worked around us while we prayed with her, never interrupting us, but still performing all his nursing tasks. He patiently answered all our questions and looked out for us, too, and ordered Bereavement trays because he knew we had not eaten all day.
On behalf of my family, we are nominating Tom for the DAISY Award. Over the last 28 years, my mother has endured countless medical treatments and hospital stays and was treated by 100s of nurses; Tom stood out from all the others with his compassion, respectfulness, and professionalism. We consider ourselves truly blessed that Tom was my mother’s nurse during her final hours, and for that, we will be forever grateful.