Cindi Reynolds
March 2021
Cindi
Reynolds
,
MSN, RN
Neuroscience ICU
Emory University Hospital
The granddaughter called our charge nurse, Cindi Reynolds, and asked if there was any way for them to be together. Cindi quickly went to work to try to make this happen.
Last Friday morning I took a triage call from an outside hospital with an elderly woman with a large cerebellar ICH. Her exam sounded grim. In accepting the patient I asked the physician to pass along to the family that we would try our best, but her case sounded concerning for a devastating bleed that would likely end her life. He stated that it was a shame since her husband has been in a COVID unit at Emory for the last two weeks. I quickly looked at the name on my page again and knew the patient's husband from being in the 2GN COVID unit the week before.
After getting off the phone, I touched base with the attendings covering the neuro ICU and COVID unit to make them aware of the situation. When the patient arrived it was clear that her bleed was as devastating as it sounded on the phone, and she would not survive regardless of intervention. Her husband was set to have a tracheostomy done that morning. Drs. K and P reached out to his daughters to discuss their parents' care. The daughters stated to hold the trach while they discussed, as they did not think their father could or would want to live without her. The family made the tough decision to palliatively extubate their father and mother that morning.
The granddaughter called our charge nurse, Cindi Reynolds, and asked if there was any way for them to be together. Cindi quickly went to work to try to make this happen. By a stroke of fate, a patient in a large room in the Neuro ICU was discharged to LTAC that morning which allowed for the following events to take place. The amazing neuro ICU care teams palliatively extubated both patients in their rooms and then brought them together. Their 4 daughters surrounded them. Per the bedside nurse, the husband was able to tell his wife he loved her before she passed away, with him to follow just a few hours later. When I accepted this patient, I just hoped she could be near her husband at the end of her life but am overwhelmed by the amazing efforts put forth by the neuro ICU nurses, APPs, and physicians, along with palliative care, to have them be together at the end of their lives. The family was incredibly grateful during this difficult event.
After getting off the phone, I touched base with the attendings covering the neuro ICU and COVID unit to make them aware of the situation. When the patient arrived it was clear that her bleed was as devastating as it sounded on the phone, and she would not survive regardless of intervention. Her husband was set to have a tracheostomy done that morning. Drs. K and P reached out to his daughters to discuss their parents' care. The daughters stated to hold the trach while they discussed, as they did not think their father could or would want to live without her. The family made the tough decision to palliatively extubate their father and mother that morning.
The granddaughter called our charge nurse, Cindi Reynolds, and asked if there was any way for them to be together. Cindi quickly went to work to try to make this happen. By a stroke of fate, a patient in a large room in the Neuro ICU was discharged to LTAC that morning which allowed for the following events to take place. The amazing neuro ICU care teams palliatively extubated both patients in their rooms and then brought them together. Their 4 daughters surrounded them. Per the bedside nurse, the husband was able to tell his wife he loved her before she passed away, with him to follow just a few hours later. When I accepted this patient, I just hoped she could be near her husband at the end of her life but am overwhelmed by the amazing efforts put forth by the neuro ICU nurses, APPs, and physicians, along with palliative care, to have them be together at the end of their lives. The family was incredibly grateful during this difficult event.