We received a patient from an outside facility as a trauma transfer. The patient was originally supposed to come to us and was then diverted to a nearby facility for stabilization and then transfer out. He was transferred out in critical condition and arrived at our facility in just that. His family unaware of the diversion, arrived here at our facility anxiously awaiting their loved one, not knowing what had happened, or the critical state he was in. We were able to update the family with what we knew and anxiously waited for him to arrive in order to get the family at the bedside.
He arrived and as quickly as we could, we had family and consulting services at the bedside. It was upon the arrival of this patient that both of our trauma nurses, Sierra Turtle and Christine Mitchell, not only cared for him but went above and beyond. They set the family up at the bedside in order to speak with all of the different services caring for their son. It was determined after evaluation that he was going to be unable to survive this injury and they recommended family discussion to determine the plan ahead.
It was then that Sierra and Christine once again went into overdrive. They contacted Our Legacy after the first referral and the family mentioning organ donation and were able to mobilize Our Legacy coming to the department in the late hours of the night to begin this process. The two of them began the process of making sure everything was ordered and completed as the family decided on when they would go forward with a donation. It was then at that time the second curveball came that they had to deal with, due to his Covid swab he was no longer eligible to proceed with the donation process.
They communicated this finding to Our Legacy and the family went forward with withdrawing care. Christine was scheduled to leave the Trauma Bay at 3 am and take a new assignment, but the family liked her, they trusted her, and with Sierra's help they continued this process in the ED. In a short matter of time this family went on a complete roller coaster that with the help of Sierra and Christine, the highs and lows were all mitigated appropriately.
Recently in the ED, we have had capacity issues, phones ringing nonstop, call bells going off, but for a brief period of time that early Thursday morning it was silent. No noise, no EMS coming in, no staff even talking. And at that moment in time, that family sat outside of the room, unable to be inside because of Covid, and watched their son leave this Earth. Sierra and Christine by their side the entire time. It was a moment that anyone involved will never forget but the most touching part happened next. The family stood up, thanked them for being there with them and going through that with them, crying together, and then hugged them. They wanted to hug the nurses who just helped them go through the hardest time of their life. It brought tears to those involved and in that same eerie silence, the family said goodbye to them and walked out the doors. They expressed gratitude to the staff and explained that he was at peace now and they were okay with how all of this transpired.
Over the last 6 months, our lives in the ED have been completely shaken up from Covid. It has prevented us from doing what we do best, making connections. On that late night into the early morning, those two nurses made connections. Connections that will last forever. They embodied the spirit of being a DAISY Nurse.