Delaney's optimism and compassion shine bright on 4 East. As shown in the patient stories, often times this is a very difficult and emotionally taxing floor to work on. As a fellow staff member, I breathe a sigh of relief seeing that Delaney is working with me that shift. I know that whatever I need she will be right there to help whether it is her patient or not. Delaney knows how to work in a team. Her seemingly endless energy and eagerness to learn as a new nurse make her the perfect candidate for the DAISY Award.
Caring for terminally ill patients can be very emotionally taxing for a nurse. We recently had a patient on the unit with a very poor outcome following elective surgery. She had a very involved and committed family; however, they had trouble coping with the rapid decline of the patient. This patient required intensive physical and emotional care that often the nurses had trouble providing with their patient load. Delaney, strategically planned out her day and used her resources to allow for more one-on-one time with this patient and her family. She felt this would really benefit both the patient and the emotional grieving for the family.
Delaney wanted to make sure that the patient's family could see how important their loved one is to us as well. A patient this ill requires a lot of attention to detail while repositioning and bathing to ensure the utmost comfort for the patient. This patient had multiple large wounds, a new tracheostomy, a new below the knee amputation, and was at end of life. A simple nursing task of giving a bath was complicated by this patient's intense medical condition. Delaney gathered a team of nurses and PCTs on the unit to assist. She used her nursing skills to plan out her day and make sure this patient was well taken care of in a safe manner. This made our patient feel better but also her family. Often communicating and showing care to family members can be immensely comforting.
Another patient our unit was admitted after a rapid decline in his health status. After some workup, it was discovered that he had advanced lymphoma. It was quickly realized that he was not going to get better. The patient passed away within a week of being on our floor. Delaney showed great compassion towards him, and this was evident in his response when she would walk in the room for her shift. A fellow nurse reports a huge smile as she walked in, he stated: "I am so glad you are here with me tonight." The patient's vision and gross motor skills gradually got worse. During these days his family and friends were calling often to plan times to visit as well as to get updates.
Due to a decline in vision and motor skills, the patient was often not able to get to his cell phone in time, check text messages, voicemails, or take calls. Delaney spent time listening to every message with him, reading texts, texting for him and making sure he could call those he wanted. The end of life could have been much more isolated for this patient had she not taken the time to connect this patient with his loved ones. Delaney also worked to advocate for the patient's end of life care by working with all teams. She collaborated with hospice, palliative care, and his primary physician team. When the patient needed more pain medications to die comfortably, she stepped in to make sure it happened. The patient passed away with his family at the bedside and pain well controlled. Although Delaney was his nurse, she showed compassion towards this patient as if he was her own family member.