We had a patient come in that was in critical condition due to the progression of a chronic disease state. The patient had recently been removed by the courts from horrible living conditions and placed with other family members. Family and doctor had come to the decision that the patient was to the point of the end of life. Since the patient had been recently placed with family, they, unfortunately, did not have the paperwork to prove guardianship.
This all happened on the weekend. Crystal took the time to make several calls to APS and to judges to ensure that the patient's wishes were abided by and that the family didn't have to deal with added stress to an already stressful situation. I believe as nurses we have been allowed the privileged of assisting both patient and family during the end of life to make it easier on all and allow the family time with their loved one instead of worrying about the unseen details. I believe Crystal went above and beyond in this, showing what care and compassion is all about.