June 2020
Sara
Funderburk
,
RN
Cardiothoracic IMU
Memorial Hermann Southeast
Houston
,
TX
Sara was taking care of a COVID patient who was on hospice care but was too unstable to move out to her home or a hospice facility. Sara took care of this patient during her last days and provided true compassionate nursing care. Although Sara had a full load of acute IMU patients, she stayed with her patient as much as she could, played her devotional music, and Zoomed with her family. Sara sang with her, encouraged her to even let go so her suffering could end. Sara knew she was still holding on for a reason, so she consistently provided her family time to speak to their mother and grandmother while she was still lucid since they were not allowed to come to the hospital as she was positive for COVID-19. The patient did not pass away on Sara's shift, but Sara took care of her for 2 days continuously until she finally passed away at night.