The time one spends visiting a loved one in the ICU is overwhelming, a whirlwind, and at times unbearable. I was, however, struck by the compassionate nursing skills of Janette Chambliss who dedicated a day advocating for a patient’s family and her roommates. It was a unique situation of a college student patient, her two roommates, her parents, and me, her graduate program director.

One example of Janette going above and beyond is walking with me to the atrium to help carry lunch that my coworkers brought for the parents and roommates. Janette talked with my coworkers and me about the concern she had for these two roommates who witnessed the unimaginable on their walk to class the night before. She wanted to make sure these students had support when they left the hospital that afternoon. We talked about counseling services, final exam concerns, and how our department might support these students and their classmates after the death of their friend.

After I had originally told Janette I could easily carry the lunch back to the ICU room by myself, Janette saw the bigger picture. Janette knew these roommates were like sisters to the patient and she went above and beyond to make sure they, too, would be okay. While I took the students to get some tea, Janette took her time talking with the patient’s parents about their support system at home. It was amazing for me to watch a nurse take time to not just tend to the needs of that hour, but to help the family plan ahead. Knowing the parents were from out of state, it made me really proud of the community we live in and that we have a hospital system that hires amazing nurses like Janette. Although I was there to comfort the roommates, Janette knew that I, too, was hurting and grieving. I can’t thank her enough for her compassion and exceptional care.