It was a rainy night when I received the call to go out to the hospital. All I was told was that a family member had gotten sick and I needed to check things out. When I arrived at the hospital, things were much worse than I thought. My family member had arrested multiple times and was critically ill.
Being in health care for many years, I knew that this was probably going to have a bad outcome. Our family stumbled through that evening trying to make sense of what had happened and questioned why such a young man would be clinging to life. When most of the family left the hospital that night, we were exhausted.
I returned to the hospital the next morning to get an update. I was greeted by Shawn. Shawn said she was going to be in the ICU all day. I breathed a sigh of relief, as I knew our loved one was going to be in good hands. Over the course of the next 48 hours, our family (which is very large) converged on the hospital. Shawn managed to answer questions, pass out tissues, talk to the physician team, and most importantly, care for our loved one with grace, skill, and compassion. I know that it can be hard when you are asked the same question 100 times, but it never seemed to bother Shawn. Shawn was the calm that our family desperately needed during our storm.
Words cannot express how much we appreciated Shawn. Our loved one passed peacefully on the second evening, close to shift change. Shawn stayed well beyond her shift, not only to take care of our loved one but to take care of my family as well. Shawn demonstrated compassion, went above and beyond, gave us clear communication each step of the way, was professional, and made a difference in our lives. Calling Shawn an exceptional nurse doesn't seem to be enough. Thank you, Shawn.