Each and every one of us has made it our duty to positively affect the lives of people. However, this is a story that goes beyond any measure of impact of our everyday norm. For those that don't know exactly what it means when you have a patient present for care and is at the end of their life, then you may have never experienced what it means to be a patient's "Guardian Angel".
The patient was a young man whose wife had somehow managed to get his 6ft plus frame down from the second story of their home to the car to bring him into the emergency department. The patient presented with altered mental status and it was initially thought that an elevated ammonia level was to blame. The ED was in full swing when the patient arrived, capacity was an issue as flu season was in full force. Traci Anderson was the charge nurse this day and soon found herself in this patient's room assisting the primary nurse with his care. Traci fully embraces the Sentara commitment to always work together as a team to provide quality care and is an exceptional "wing-woman" to her team. The provider worked to facilitate the transfer of this patient to his primary oncologist at a facility a couple of hours away. Traci, having a background in oncology herself, told the provider that she didn't believe the patient would survive the trip. The provider then made arrangements to admit the patient from this free-standing ED to the main hospital campus at Sentara Obici. Traci again approached the provider and told him that this patient was actively reaching the end of his life and the right thing to do for him and his family would be to allow him to stay in his current location.
The bond that was developed between the nurse, Traci, the ED tech on duty, the patient, and the family was extraordinary. Traci and the ED tech worked together to ensure that the patient and family had the comforts of home and supported them with the time, attention, and equipment necessary to keep him comfortable. The patient spent about 8 hours with us before finally taking his last breath. The nurse was the voice of the patient and family. She stood by the patient and family to ensure that the patient experienced a peaceful end of life and the family was grateful for her presence.
ED nurses hold many hands at the time of death, but rarely do they have the job to care for a patient entering into the end of life in this way and to ensure that death comes in a manner that is calm and peaceful for the patient and the family. Many times on that day the family and extended family came in and out of the room and complimented the team on their caring, compassion, team-work, and dedication to the needs of the patient. They were truly Guardian Angels. I heard the wife say, "I am so happy that these angels were here that day as it helped me through the worst day of my life." The family invited these two to the memorial service and also recognized them in the memorial card at the funeral. This was an exceptional display of compassionate care, and another fine example of Sentara nursing keeping our commitment to ALWAYS treat you with dignity, respect, and compassion.