Melanie Bloomquist
June 2021
Melanie
Bloomquist
,
MSN, RN
Telemetry Unit
Riverside Healthcare
Kankakee
,
IL
United States
Melanie had decided to provide that fantastic patient experience by setting up a “dining” date for her patient and husband.
When you have the good fortune of being in the right place, at the right time to hear stories and witness pure acts of kindness, is truly a blessing that one should never take for granted. One of the most extraordinary examples of compassion was to occur in a patient room with nurse Melanie on a busy Thursday afternoon on the telemetry unit. Her patient whom she was caring for had been with us for a few weeks now. She had been transferred from the ICU previously and continued to struggle with fluid retention and generalized pain.
Melanie knew from the conversation she had with the physicians, that her patient was reaching an end to the current treatment which had ceased to work effectively any longer. Goals of care, along with a hospice consultation was being ordered. Melanie knew the conversation with her patient and husband was going to be very difficult for our hospice team, but it was handled as professionally as it could be. Her patient decided to postpone hospice treatment for the near future, but something else which was just as important to her patient was also occurring at the very same moment.
Today was the 55th wedding anniversary between her patient and husband. What transpired next really defines what being a nurse and healer is all about. Melanie had decided to provide that fantastic patient experience by setting up a “dining” date for her patient and husband. Melanie scoured the unit looking for a small cart or table and found one. She placed a colored tablecloth and found a glass vase, along with a small flower on the table. She had called down to the cafeteria and ordered her patient’s favorite egg salad sandwich, and also ordered her husband a gourmet hospital meal.
Upon speaking to the patient and her husband later that evening, they both were so enamored that a nurse took that much time out of her day to provide them as close to a gourmet meal as possible while being in the hospital. It was an experience both would never forget. The mission at Riverside guides each of us to a place where all of our combined training and efforts in whatever field we serve, should be a shining example of what is possible in this world.
Florence Nightingale said, “Let whoever is in charge keep this simple question in her head… not how can I always do this right thing myself, but how can I provide for this right thing to be always done?” The embodiment of a nurse could not have been demonstrated more gracefully and compassionately than for what Melanie did for her patient and her loved one. Let us all try to reach that peak from which Melanie practices her nursing profession.
Melanie knew from the conversation she had with the physicians, that her patient was reaching an end to the current treatment which had ceased to work effectively any longer. Goals of care, along with a hospice consultation was being ordered. Melanie knew the conversation with her patient and husband was going to be very difficult for our hospice team, but it was handled as professionally as it could be. Her patient decided to postpone hospice treatment for the near future, but something else which was just as important to her patient was also occurring at the very same moment.
Today was the 55th wedding anniversary between her patient and husband. What transpired next really defines what being a nurse and healer is all about. Melanie had decided to provide that fantastic patient experience by setting up a “dining” date for her patient and husband. Melanie scoured the unit looking for a small cart or table and found one. She placed a colored tablecloth and found a glass vase, along with a small flower on the table. She had called down to the cafeteria and ordered her patient’s favorite egg salad sandwich, and also ordered her husband a gourmet hospital meal.
Upon speaking to the patient and her husband later that evening, they both were so enamored that a nurse took that much time out of her day to provide them as close to a gourmet meal as possible while being in the hospital. It was an experience both would never forget. The mission at Riverside guides each of us to a place where all of our combined training and efforts in whatever field we serve, should be a shining example of what is possible in this world.
Florence Nightingale said, “Let whoever is in charge keep this simple question in her head… not how can I always do this right thing myself, but how can I provide for this right thing to be always done?” The embodiment of a nurse could not have been demonstrated more gracefully and compassionately than for what Melanie did for her patient and her loved one. Let us all try to reach that peak from which Melanie practices her nursing profession.