One of our very young patients recently passed away on 15 PCU. The patient had a husband, 3 small children, all under the age of 11, and various other family members who had a very rough time accepting the impending death of their loved one. One of the team members, Amanda Jones, went above and beyond to ensure this patient's family was supported and cared for during this time.
The 15 PCU team, Amanda, a Child Life Specialist, and the doctor were planning to decorate the patient's room and do an early Christmas celebration to ensure her and her family enjoyed one last holiday together. Unfortunately, the patient declined and expired shortly before we were scheduled to decorate in early December. Thankfully, Amanda had already spent numerous hours and countless days with the children and husband of this patient and was able to create something very special for the kids and dad to cherish for years to come. Amanda assisted the family in designing and decorating a Legacy Project Tree keepsake which included fingerprints of all the immediate family members including the patient. This was a beautiful gesture and was met with tears and gratitude by all who witnessed it. The family who felt otherwise hopeless and despondent was very appreciative.
During the interactions with the family, Amanda built a special rapport with the patient's loved ones. The family trusted and respected Amanda so much that when it was time for the children to be informed that their mother was going to pass away, the father asked Amanda to take on this very difficult task. Although this was not something Amanda was used to doing, she took on the difficult assignment and sought assistance from those around her who could help her conquer the task at hand. Amanda received support and input from the Child Life Specialist and the patient's doctor, as well as from the nursing team on 15 PCU. Amanda was able to handle the task very well and the father was extremely grateful for her intervention. This was not an easy task, nor is it something many of us could have performed.
Amanda assisted with comforting this patient's family, especially the 3 young kids, throughout the patient's stay and up to the very moment of the patient's demise. Amanda, thank you all for your dedication to patient advocacy and for going way above and beyond to ensure this patient's family had support during their time of need. This was a very rough transition for the children and other family members, but because of the love and support you showed, the family felt supported during the ordeal. Your kind efforts did not go unnoticed. Thank you for being a phenomenal RN and an exemplary Medicine Services team member.
As seen in years past, Amanda took on the task and excelled. This is not uncommon for Amanda. She doesn't shy away from a challenge, even when it hurts her to the point of tears. Amanda is a phenomenal RN and most importantly, she is a strong, very dedicated patient/family advocate. She embodies the CIRCLES philosophy in each aspect of the care she renders. It is for this reason that I nominate Amanda Jones for the DAISY Award. It is very well deserved.