Jonathan Northcutt
October 2021
Jonathan
Northcutt
,
RN
7Q Neuro ICU
TriHealth Good Samaritan Hospital
Cincinnati
,
OH
United States
Jonathan embraced me as if we were family and took the time to explain to me everything going on with my dad.
I knew about Jonathan’s natural, caring nature before I even met him. In just a few hours of my dad being in the Neuro ICU, Jonathan’s attention to detail, his caring demeanor to my dad (the patient) and my family members, and his nursing expertise were noticed by my mom, who is not only a nurse herself, but was a nursing instructor for almost 30 years. And she can have a critical eye for any nurse, but especially for the one caring for my dad. Then I met Jonathan.
When I arrived at my dad’s room in the Neuro ICU (I live in California, so I came 24 hours after my dad was transferred to the department), Jonathan embraced me as if we were family and took the time to explain to me everything going on with my dad. When we made the agonizing decision that my dad was going to be placed on comfort care, Jonathan calmly explained every aspect of comfort care to my mom, my siblings, and myself. He patiently answered every one of our questions and not once hurried out of my dad’s room.
Throughout the day, as visitors came to say goodbye to my dad, Jonathan continued to quietly enter the room, talk directly to my dad (regardless of what was going on or how many people were in the room), and thoroughly explained everything he was doing to my dad. He treated my dad with respect, addressed him by name, and handled my dad with the most gentle hands.
As part of the comfort care routine, my dad was given medication every 2 hours. After the first dose, we noticed that my dad’s breathing would alter and slow for a few minutes. The first time this happened, our family was sobbing, thinking that was the end of my dad’s time with us. However, he would rally, and his breathing returned to a more normal rhythm after a few minutes. Yet, with each dose of medication, this abnormal breathing pattern would get longer. Jonathan noticed this and noticed how much this pattern was upsetting us. Therefore, after each dose, Jonathan would quietly remain in the room, close to my mom, offering his support as our family experienced these abnormalities and wondered which time would be the end for my dad.
Close to the end of Jonathan’s 12-hour shift, I jokingly, but seriously, asked him if he would work a double because we didn’t want him to leave. And his response to my question, without even hesitating, was ‘I don’t work again until Friday, I could ask if I could work a double shift’. Who does that, except someone who possesses the true spirit of a nurse and has a heart of gold?
When I arrived at my dad’s room in the Neuro ICU (I live in California, so I came 24 hours after my dad was transferred to the department), Jonathan embraced me as if we were family and took the time to explain to me everything going on with my dad. When we made the agonizing decision that my dad was going to be placed on comfort care, Jonathan calmly explained every aspect of comfort care to my mom, my siblings, and myself. He patiently answered every one of our questions and not once hurried out of my dad’s room.
Throughout the day, as visitors came to say goodbye to my dad, Jonathan continued to quietly enter the room, talk directly to my dad (regardless of what was going on or how many people were in the room), and thoroughly explained everything he was doing to my dad. He treated my dad with respect, addressed him by name, and handled my dad with the most gentle hands.
As part of the comfort care routine, my dad was given medication every 2 hours. After the first dose, we noticed that my dad’s breathing would alter and slow for a few minutes. The first time this happened, our family was sobbing, thinking that was the end of my dad’s time with us. However, he would rally, and his breathing returned to a more normal rhythm after a few minutes. Yet, with each dose of medication, this abnormal breathing pattern would get longer. Jonathan noticed this and noticed how much this pattern was upsetting us. Therefore, after each dose, Jonathan would quietly remain in the room, close to my mom, offering his support as our family experienced these abnormalities and wondered which time would be the end for my dad.
Close to the end of Jonathan’s 12-hour shift, I jokingly, but seriously, asked him if he would work a double because we didn’t want him to leave. And his response to my question, without even hesitating, was ‘I don’t work again until Friday, I could ask if I could work a double shift’. Who does that, except someone who possesses the true spirit of a nurse and has a heart of gold?