We had a patient on PCU who had been in and out of the hospital over the last 2 months with unforeseen complications after surgery. It was her birthday and she had received some more bad news about her condition. She was feeling really down and even crying at times.
As soon as Laura Schobert heard it was her birthday, she wasted no time. She immediately went down to the gift shop to buy her a balloon, candy and gave her some ice cream and gathered the staff on the unit to sing happy birthday to her in an attempt to lift her spirits. The rest of the day the patient told her family how special the nurses made her day. Even though she couldn't wait to go home, Laura was able to make her day a little better and turn it around into something special for her.