In August of 2017, my mother was diagnosed with an acute intestinal disorder and was admitted to Baptist Health Louisville. After several days in the ICU and ICU Step-down Unit, our family made the difficult decision to spare Mom a long, complex surgery from which it seemed likely she would not fully recover. We chose instead to place her under hospice care in the Palliative Care Unit. Over the next two weeks, we interacted with dozens of nurses, nurses' aides, and other staff members, and each of them demonstrated an enormous degree of compassion and skill. However, one nurse stood out among her very talented peers.
Vandi was in charge of caring for our mother during a number 12-hour shifts. She was always willing to listen patiently to our questions, and then provide detailed answers based on both her medical knowledge and her years of practical experience with palliative care patients. While our mother, age 87, was awake and interactive, Vandi would speak with her calmly and kindly, addressing her concerns and administering treatment. Vandi paid close attention to every detail of Mom's care: the dosage and frequency of medicine for pain and anxiety; her vital signs and fluid intake; a schedule for turnings and bathings that minimized agitation; even the tilt of the bed and the room lighting that created the least amount of discomfort for Mom.
As our mother progressed toward her final days, Vandi was vigilant in providing the most appropriate physical and medical care. As Mom's condition worsened, her need for pain medicine increased. Vandi would often stand silently for minutes on end, just observing my Mom's breathing, motion, and facial expressions, to accurately assess her situation and then adjust her medication. When more medicine was scheduled, Vandi would appear at the precise time, with the correct dose and a pain-free administration.
As our family stayed with Mom around the clock, day after day, Vandi became a friend to all of us. She took the time to learn about us and shared her personal background as well. Despite being active nonstop on each shift, she always took the time to talk with us about Mom both as a patient, and as a person. As she left the hospital room after each visit, her last question for the family was always, "what can I get for you?".
Our family silently cheered each time Vandi was assigned a shift to care for Mom. In my 57 years, I've never met anyone with her combination of professional skill and genuine compassion for others. Vandi treated our loved one as if she was a member of her own family.
I would find Vandi's job to be impossibly challenging, but she tackled it in a manner that provided as much comfort as possible for both the patient and her family. As we watched our loved one slip away, Vandi's confident, professional, friendly demeanor provided ongoing strength for the family. Vandi was at the hospital when Mom passed away, and as we began our mourning at her bedside she discreetly checked on us several times, just to let us know that she was there if we needed her. Vandi is the embodiment of great nursing: skill, knowledge, experience, and compassion all combined into a wonderful human being.