As a nurse myself for 13 years, I have high expectations for the care provided to patients, especially when that patient is my family.
My life was recently uprooted from the happy, family-oriented life I lived with my family. My family member was brought to the hospital at my request after learning my family member was very sick at home. We had no idea why my family member who was healthy woke up sick. My family member arrived in the ER where a cardiac arrest occurred not only once but twice. They were able to revive, stabilize and transfer my family member. The entire night was touch and go attempting to maintain blood pressure and praying for signs of breathing on their own. That did not happen.
The next morning, Olivia cared for my family member. From the time Olivia walked into the room I felt a calm presence, an air of confidence in abilities and a connection I could never describe. My family member was always a jokester and gave everyone a hard time. Olivia had never met my family member and she walked in harassing and joking; it was perfect. Olivia spoke to my family member as if the family member was awake and going to answer questions any minute; Olivia never faltered knowing the patient wasn't responding; she never spoke about the patient, always to the patient.
Olivia was also orienting another nurse and never once refrained from addressing my family member as a person or encouraging the orientee to do the same. Olivia spoke through every process, test, and assessment with me, to the patient, and to the orientee. Olivia laughed with my family member, kept the patient clean, joked with the patient, and begged my family member to wake up for me (Olivia doesn't know I heard, but I did). That afternoon was the first time I slept in over 24 hours; I felt like I could with Olivia watching over.
Olivia answered every question I had, recited labs when asked without ever having to look them up; Olivia knew the history and chart inside and out and could speak to every part, to every person, and every physician. Olivia never once uttered the words "I don't know." That evening there were small, positive signs and I saw a light in Olivia's eyes. It was a good thing and Olivia was hopeful. She left that night after a pep talk in my family member's ear and said she would see him tomorrow. My family member had made Olivia work too hard that day; she needed food and sleep.
Olivia returned the next morning smiling, happy to have my family member again and assumed care, I couldn't have been more grateful. The other nurses did great but the personability, compassion, love, and hope Olivia demonstrated every minute of time spent with us was missing. Olivia started the morning harassing my family member like they had been friends for years, discussing the plan for a bath. "Patient needed to be cleaned up if you are walking today, and the patient was," she told my family member. A couple of hours later, Olivia noticed a change in my family member's presentation, and I noticed one in Olivia's. Olivia's smile towards him faltered for just a fraction, Olivia was worried. She returned to caring for my family member, performing assessments, and calling physicians; Olivia never left my family member's side or mine.
Had I not been watching, I would have missed it. Olivia began asking for new tests, new labs, new imaging; she wanted answers to the changes noticed. I inquired about the changes as well and Olivia was honest. She told me about subtle changes that were concerning and wanted answers from the Docs. She was the epitome of an amazing advocate for my family member, me, and other family; the kind they teach us to be but so many never make. None of the tests were positive, every single one confirmed Olivia's fears and mine. Our family was faced with the difficult decision of discontinuing care as the patient was deemed brain dead.
Olivia stayed, cried and continued caring for my family member as if there was still a chance in saving him even though that did not happen. Olivia spoke softly to my family member and comforted me. She took photos for me of our last moments together. She played songs for me while I cried; recorded their heartbeat so I could find comfort in that later.
Olivia expertly managed family and friends and never once was anything but connected to our family during the hardest most unimaginably painful days of my life as a nurse, a parent, and a spouse.
I will forever be grateful for the care, love, compassion, kindness, and empathy Olivia showed my family member and our family. Because of Olivia, I have mementos I would never have thought to have, and I have photos of our final moments together when all the life-saving measures stopped, listening to our song, as the heartbeat slowed and breathing stopped. I was left with the greatest loss I've ever known, but in the hands of the greatest nurse I have ever known.