As registered nurses, we always work for the best outcomes for the patient. We want to see health, wellness, and healing.For patients and families dealing with a life-threatening or life-ending illness, there are few tools to help navigate that dark road. Conversations between the medical team, patient, and family are difficult and awkward at best.Bridget Francoise is a shining example of a nurse who assists patients and families with this process. Having a family member dealing with a life-threatening illness can make family members feel helpless.This is exactly Bridget's area of expertise. She focuses on the patient, their mindset, their coping mechanisms, their pain (physical and emotional), and she envelops them in the art of palliative care nursing.She focuses on the present while preparing patients and families for the future.She advocates to the medical team for changes in treatment for the patient if necessary, using her broad knowledge of medicine as well as non-traditional therapies.Working with the patient, she begins to understand them and to help them articulate their wishes so they can be an active part of the team.
She assists families to understand the process that patients go through. She helps families understand the rollercoaster of emotions that change like the weather.She assists with communication for families who have difficulty expressing their feelings.She does this with patience, dignity, compassion, and heartfelt caring.She makes people feel comfortable in very uncomfortable situations and helps them to find the courage to say what they need to say, with a great understanding that situations and feelings can change drastically overnight.Our family member is dealing with these same issues.Bridget has helped our family member and each of us in all of these ways.We have seen her go over and above for our loved one as well as with other patients and their families.Thank you Bridget, we appreciate you!