October 2021
Austin
Wamser
,
RN
Cardiovascular Progressive Care
Mercy Health Saint Mary's
Grand Rapids
,
MI
United States
Austin provided this patient with many range-of-motion exercises and was even seen stroking his hands, telling him that everything was going to be okay.
Mercy Health's core values were on full display on 8 Main as Austin Wamser gently cared for a dying patient. This patient had a complex situation including being on comfort care while still needing to have an NG tube in place. The patient was confused at baseline and greatly disturbed by the NG tube. In order to keep the NG tube secure, physicians had ordered mitts for the patient which he also found very bothersome. Austin worked exceptionally hard to provide this patient with frequent breaks from the mitts and spent a large amount of time in the patient's room so that he could be free from mitts. Austin provided this patient with many range-of-motion exercises and was even seen stroking his hands, telling him that everything was going to be okay. As the patient's physical condition declined further, the NG tube became less bothersome, but the mitts remained a large annoyance. Austin worked with the patient's physicians to adjust medications for this patient in the hopes he could safely remove the mitts, and eventually, he was able to remove the mitts from this dying patient. He increased the frequency of his rounding and spent a lot of time with this patient, making sure he felt comfortable and was being safely taken care of. It felt unnatural and uncomfortable to watch an individual pass away as their hands were in a form of restraints. Austin provided remarkable care to this patient and ensured his last moments were as comfortable as possible.