Robert was the Charge nurse in one of our Overflow Units in PACU Boarding. He was notified that one of the patients on the unit had a husband that was brought to the ED and was not doing well. Robert spoke to the patient with great care and informed her of the situation with kindness and compassion. He notified the patient's MD and received an order to take the patient downstairs to the ED to be with her husband. He was not able to stay with her the entire time, so he spoke to the husband's nurse and said to call when she was ready to come back up.
Robert frequently went down to check on her and learned that the husband was being put on end-of-life protocol. The patient (wife) was getting anxious and short of breath but wanted to stay with her husband. Robert was concerned she would deteriorate if she was not brought back to the unit. Robert called patient placement and arranged for the husband to be admitted to the same unit as his wife. He put the couple in one of the larger bays in the PACU so the beds could be pushed close together. The husband passed peacefully with the wife and family at his side.