This past May, I started working as a new clinical coordinator for Kahn 3 Medical Step Down unit. I came from the SICU/MICU as a bedside nurse, where my shifts more times than not, were surrounded by heartbreak and loss. I refer to it as my dark year in nursing, but I found myself overwhelmed by the generous amount of compassion my peers had for their patients and families. It was like nothing I had ever experienced in all my years of nursing, that is until I came to MSDU and met Jen Rowe RN. From my interactions with her during huddles and rounds to just hearing casual conversations taking place at the nursing station, I was certain that Jen showed incredible regard for her patients. She has the compassion and grace to see her patients for more than just a room number and bed assignment. I admire her concern for those in her care and her tenacity for consistently going above and beyond for her patients and their loved ones.
On Saturday, I was at home getting ready to settle in for a long Memorial Day weekend with family and friends. Out of habit, I was casually checking my work emails not expecting much action on a sleepy holiday weekend, when suddenly I received an email from Jen that simply stated: "Help". Jen and the MSDU staff had been taking exceptional care of a very sick patient for the past week, however, he was not making any significant progress, and was now at a critical point in his illness. The conversation with his medical team had turned from a potential healthy recovery to an ultimately early demise. He was not expected to live more than a few days.
Interestingly enough, Jen's petition for assistance from her leadership team didn't stem from a clinical concern but from the passion, she has for her patients. Jen had developed a trusted rapport with this patient and over the course of his hospital stay (and in strict confidentiality), the patient had expressed to her that he always wanted to marry his life-long partner but marry him legally. Jen was aware that she could easily dial an extension and get a hospital chaplain to perform a non-legal ceremony bedside, but she knew that would not be enough to fulfill a man's last dying wish. With an active DNR/DNI signed and the courts closed down until Tuesday, she spearheaded a massive outreach to off-shift nursing administrators, risk management, and clergy to try and get a marriage license for the couple. After hitting one dead end after another, and feeling like all hope was lost, she reached out to a member of Kahn 3's interdisciplinary team in a last-ditch effort, who happened to have a connection, and suddenly the plans were in the works.
On Memorial Day, the patient and his partner were legally married during a bedside ceremony on Kahn 3 MSDU, surrounded by dozens of their family and friends. The patient hallways and the family waiting room were croweded with loved ones who came to celebrate this incredibly special day. The wedding guests I spoke with were beyond grateful for Jen's efforts and were dumbfounded that she helped pull off the impossible. One man broke down into tears as he was overwhelmed with her selfless efforts. I felt fortunate to be present during this unique celebration, aside from the fact that it was a fairy-tale ending for the newlyweds, but more so because I too was absolutely amazed that Jen made this all happen. It gave me a tremendous sense of pride to be working alongside such an awe-inspiring individual.
The patient and his now husband got to spend a precious few hours together as newlyweds before he passed peacefully later in the afternoon. If it weren't for Jen's persistent and unwavering determination, this story would not have had such an incredible silver lining.