When I think of extraordinary healthcare, what comes to my mind is compassion: this surpasses all of the most sophisticated technology and life-saving drugs. Compassion is the warm feeling emanating from one soul to the other, it needs to be there at the beginning of life, and most certainly as one takes their last breath on this earth. Compassion is the essence of healthcare, it is the foundational reason we all chose to be in healthcare and we must convey this to those we care for. Lisa Culver radiated compassion from the moment she walked into L's room.
Losing a loved one is a heartbreaking, gut-wrenching, ordeal I never experienced before L's passing. I've been working in healthcare for over a decade, and I have been the nurse standing by families amidst this heartbreak many times. My heart has always gone out to these families as I've cared for their loved ones the way I would want mine to be cared for. I experienced the role reversal of being the loved one versus the nurse when L passed.
My brother-in-law's father, L was a patient of St. Mary's Hospital for almost one month. Hopefully, those reading this letter will glean what a wonderful man L was, by the mere fact that he touched my life so much that his care deeply affected me. During L's time at St. Mary's, I experienced healthcare from the perspective of a loved one and this is the motivation I have for writing this letter.
Lisa Culver was the exceptional nurse who cared for L the last four nights of his life on this earth. I spent the night by his side the night prior to his passing and was also present at the hospital the night of his passing and in his room after. Making peace with the reality of L dying was difficult, but my sole desire at that moment in time was to assure he was comfortable. He had spent three weeks in agonizing pain and I stayed at the hospital to assure he remained comfortable and to remind him throughout the night, that he was extraordinarily loved.
My prayer going into the last night was that L's nurse would care deeply about him and be his advocate to keep him comfortable through the last hours or days of his life. Lisa Culver exceeded my hopes and strengthened my faith in healthcare, showing L compassion I feel is so vital.
The moment she walked into the room she was present, truly present, with L. SSM Health is promoting the quality of presence and the importance this makes in healthcare and that is exactly why Lisa is a DAISY Nurse. She consistently made me feel that L was her sole responsibility when she walked into the room. She took the time, even when it was just a minute or two, to say something kind to him, keep him comfortable, and multiple times she reminded him that I was present with him and that his family really loved him. She even walked over to me when she started her shift, letting me know she knew L from nights prior and was glad to be his nurse, and she warmly told me, "you can rest, you are not the glue that has to keep this together. I will make sure L is comfortable and cared for." I cannot begin to say how this touched me as I realized she truly cared.
SSM Health is a Catholic hospital, so I feel free to say I strongly believe Lisa caring for L the final four nights of his life was orchestrated by God above. And it touches my soul to know that mere moments before his passing, she said the Lord's Prayer with him, something I know gave L peace.
SSM Health is honored to have her caring for patients at St. Mary's and her patients and their families are blessed.