PICU TEAM
June 2016
Picu
Chla
,
RNs and more
PICU
Children's Hospital Los Angeles
Los Angeles
,
CA
United States
Photo(l-r): Mary Dee Hacker; MBA, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN; Christopher Borromeo RRT-NPS; Sandra Lee RN; Colleen Young RN (top); Emily Fu RN (bottom); Danielle Attanasio RN; Brooke Mahar CCLS (top); Feri Kiani RN (bottom); Laura Klee RN; Louis Luminarias RN (top); Paola McClain RN (below Louis); Ale Briseno RN (top); Alyssa Rake MD (bottom); Kim Lindstadt (top); Ashley Andrew RN (middle); Nancy Lavoie RN (bottom); Helene Morgan MSW; Lucino Cruz-Perez, Chaplain
A previously healthy 11-year-old child, who had his 12th birthday just a few days after admission to PICU, was admitted with respiratory failure and placed on ECMO the next day. The following 7 weeks were nothing but intense care to a critically sick child who deserved every chance to live. Despite all the efforts, medical and surgical, the child's condition never improved, leading to that dreadful end of life talk with the family. This is every parent's worst nightmare; losing the most precious thing in life, their child.
After this meeting, the intensity of care rose even higher and in a different direction to meet the needs of the family. Everyone worked hard and the team came together to ensure the family's needs and wants were all enacted. In less than a week, the parents found peace and made the courageous decision to end his suffering and let him go. The parents were very tearful but graciously expressed their gratitude for all the loving care that they had received.
CHLA values were well portrayed in the work of many individuals who played a part in the care of this child either directly or indirectly. How do I know this? I know this because of how the parents observed us and what they shared with us over and over and over again during end of life care conferences. A few of the comments were:
"We've never seen anything like this."
"We've never seen so much love in one place."
"There are two worlds: one outside here where everyone is looking for God and then this place, God is here with you."
"Thank you for all you did for our son."
"We've googled ECMO and know it's only for 10-14 days and we are grateful that you gave us this time to be with our son."
The parents were an integral part of the team; they never questioned the care as they believed in the team and trusted the team's medical decisions.
Each and every care provider in PICU touched the family in one way or another; everyone from medical and surgical teams to nursing, respiratory, social work, palliative team, child life, interpreter, spiritual care chaplains, pharmacy, lab, blood bank, EVS, and the technician who supplied the cart in the room, showed professionalism, compassion, and respect earning the trust and respect of this family.
This is what I call exemplary team work and an exceptional exemplar of family-centered care. I'm proud to be part of this amazing team in PICU at CHLA.
The parent's wishes were respected all along and even more so during the last few days in the PICU. Cultural rituals and practices were honored and facilitated to the best of the team's ability.
The child's wish for the parents to get married was honored with a ceremony arranged by staff and a mass held at the bedside. One of CHLA's chaplains arranged for a 'Commitment Ceremony" to be performed to bless the love and commitment of the parents. The Spiritual Care Department ordered a cake and brought it in the morning of the wedding for a small reception that was held afterwards.
We couldn't save this little boy's life but we made a difference in the life of this family! Our efforts were monumental in helping this family get through the most difficult time of their life finding the strength to peacefully mourn the loss of their child while supporting one another as they said their goodbyes to the most precious member of their family.
PICU TEAM DAISY HONOREES
PICU Nurses
Feri Kiani, RN, BSN, CCRN Louis Luminarias, RN, CCRN
Sandra Lee, RN, BSN, CCRN Nancy Lavoie, RN, BSN, CCRN
Paola McClain, RN Ale Briseno, RN, BSN, CCRN
Danielle Attanasio, RN, BSN, CCRN Ing Lin RN, MSN, CCRN
Ashley Andrew, RN, BSN, CCRN Dannielle Owen, RN, BSN
Emily Fu, RN, BSN, CPN Zea Jacinto, RN, BSN, CCRN
Colleene Young, RN, BSN, CCRN Kim Lindstadt, RN, BSN, CCRN
Child Life
Brooke Mahar,CCLSChild Life Specialist II
Palliative Care
Helene Morgan, MSW
Peds Surgery
James Jim Stein MD, MSc, FACS, FAAP,Assoc. Chief of Surgery,Chief Quality Officer
Erik Barthel MD,PHD,Senior Pediatric Surgery Clinical Fellow
Allison Linden MD, MPH,Surgical Critical Care Fellow
ECMO Specialists
Laura Klee RN, MSN, RNC
Kim Kyle RN, MSN, CCRN
PICU Doctors
Robi Khemani MD,MsCl
Alyssa Rake MD
Chaplain
Lucino Cruz-Perez
A previously healthy 11-year-old child, who had his 12th birthday just a few days after admission to PICU, was admitted with respiratory failure and placed on ECMO the next day. The following 7 weeks were nothing but intense care to a critically sick child who deserved every chance to live. Despite all the efforts, medical and surgical, the child's condition never improved, leading to that dreadful end of life talk with the family. This is every parent's worst nightmare; losing the most precious thing in life, their child.
After this meeting, the intensity of care rose even higher and in a different direction to meet the needs of the family. Everyone worked hard and the team came together to ensure the family's needs and wants were all enacted. In less than a week, the parents found peace and made the courageous decision to end his suffering and let him go. The parents were very tearful but graciously expressed their gratitude for all the loving care that they had received.
CHLA values were well portrayed in the work of many individuals who played a part in the care of this child either directly or indirectly. How do I know this? I know this because of how the parents observed us and what they shared with us over and over and over again during end of life care conferences. A few of the comments were:
"We've never seen anything like this."
"We've never seen so much love in one place."
"There are two worlds: one outside here where everyone is looking for God and then this place, God is here with you."
"Thank you for all you did for our son."
"We've googled ECMO and know it's only for 10-14 days and we are grateful that you gave us this time to be with our son."
The parents were an integral part of the team; they never questioned the care as they believed in the team and trusted the team's medical decisions.
Each and every care provider in PICU touched the family in one way or another; everyone from medical and surgical teams to nursing, respiratory, social work, palliative team, child life, interpreter, spiritual care chaplains, pharmacy, lab, blood bank, EVS, and the technician who supplied the cart in the room, showed professionalism, compassion, and respect earning the trust and respect of this family.
This is what I call exemplary team work and an exceptional exemplar of family-centered care. I'm proud to be part of this amazing team in PICU at CHLA.
The parent's wishes were respected all along and even more so during the last few days in the PICU. Cultural rituals and practices were honored and facilitated to the best of the team's ability.
The child's wish for the parents to get married was honored with a ceremony arranged by staff and a mass held at the bedside. One of CHLA's chaplains arranged for a 'Commitment Ceremony" to be performed to bless the love and commitment of the parents. The Spiritual Care Department ordered a cake and brought it in the morning of the wedding for a small reception that was held afterwards.
We couldn't save this little boy's life but we made a difference in the life of this family! Our efforts were monumental in helping this family get through the most difficult time of their life finding the strength to peacefully mourn the loss of their child while supporting one another as they said their goodbyes to the most precious member of their family.
PICU TEAM DAISY HONOREES
PICU Nurses
Feri Kiani, RN, BSN, CCRN Louis Luminarias, RN, CCRN
Sandra Lee, RN, BSN, CCRN Nancy Lavoie, RN, BSN, CCRN
Paola McClain, RN Ale Briseno, RN, BSN, CCRN
Danielle Attanasio, RN, BSN, CCRN Ing Lin RN, MSN, CCRN
Ashley Andrew, RN, BSN, CCRN Dannielle Owen, RN, BSN
Emily Fu, RN, BSN, CPN Zea Jacinto, RN, BSN, CCRN
Colleene Young, RN, BSN, CCRN Kim Lindstadt, RN, BSN, CCRN
Child Life
Brooke Mahar,CCLSChild Life Specialist II
Palliative Care
Helene Morgan, MSW
Peds Surgery
James Jim Stein MD, MSc, FACS, FAAP,Assoc. Chief of Surgery,Chief Quality Officer
Erik Barthel MD,PHD,Senior Pediatric Surgery Clinical Fellow
Allison Linden MD, MPH,Surgical Critical Care Fellow
ECMO Specialists
Laura Klee RN, MSN, RNC
Kim Kyle RN, MSN, CCRN
PICU Doctors
Robi Khemani MD,MsCl
Alyssa Rake MD
Chaplain
Lucino Cruz-Perez