Meg is a great nurse, and her patients love her. She recently performed an exceptionally kind act that will never be forgotten. These have been hard times for our patients and their loved ones, due to the COVID visitor restrictions. On IMU, we had a lovely gentleman who had been hospitalized for several days battling COVID.
On this particular day, Meg was his nurse. It was the beginning of the day shift, early in the morning when Meg noticed that the patient's respiratory status was worsening, and he was demonstrating increased oxygen requirements. Meg did all the things she had been trained to do in an attempt to bring the patient's oxygen saturation rate back up. When she realized that her nursing interventions were not going to be enough, Meg quickly escalated this situation by informing the appropriate people of the patient's change in status. Moments later, the ICU intensivist was at the bedside, debating whether he should intubate the patient on IMU or take the patient to ICU prior to intubation.
During the decision-making process, Meg had the compassion and forethought to call the patient's wife on Facetime using the patient's phone. The patient and his wife had a few moments during that Facetime call to say, "I love you" and whatever other last words they wanted to say to each other before the patient was intubated. The patient didn't really understand what all the fuss was about, but the wife was immensely grateful, considering she could not be at the bedside with her husband due to his COVID diagnosis. This sweet patient was intubated immediately after that Facetime call and sadly, he was never able to speak to his wife again. His was one of the many lives that COVID has claimed. Thanks to Meg and her courage and compassion, this wife was able to say "Goodbye" to her husband the love of her life.