January 2019
Alicia
Padilla
,
BSN, RN
ICU
Kaiser Permanente Downey Medical Center
Downey
,
CA
United States
We had a gentleman brought in for a suicide attempt. The patient declined and the family made him a DNR/DNI and decided to terminate life support. The family declined to be present for the terminal extubation because they considered him gone. Alicia was his nurse this day. She made him comfortable and extubated him. She sat with him holding his hand and prayed for him. When I asked Alicia why she stayed with the patient. She said that "No one should die alone." This is the way Alicia has practiced all of her nursing career.