Jenni Shpiro
May 2022
Jenni
Shpiro
,
BSN, RN
RRUCLA
Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center
Los Angeles
,
CA
United States
Jenni wanted to create a warm and loving environment that would welcome the patient's family. She drew and hand-cut hearts that she connected with a string of lights.
A young woman was pregnant with her third child when she was diagnosed with lymphoma. She was forced to deliver her baby early. Immediately following the birth, this patient became critically ill. She was admitted to the ICU, intubated, and placed on dialysis. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she was not allowed any visitors. As a mother herself, Jenni poured her heart and soul into finding creative ways for the patient's family and kids to virtually visit and receive updates. The patient became extremely unstable and the medical team was running out of options.
Jenni quickly coordinated a meeting with Child Life, the medical team, and unit leadership. She advocated for emergency visitation approval and arranged for necessary approvals. She wanted to create a warm and loving environment that would welcome the patient's family. Jenni anticipated that her other two kids might get scared seeing their mother in critical condition and wanted to give them something else to focus on. She drew and hand-cut hearts that she connected with a string of lights. She draped the hearts and lights above the patient's bed. The patient's children loved the lights and said it was a happy way to remember their mother.
The heartwarming interaction between the patient's family and Jenni was something that everyone in the unit noticed and admired. Other nurses began asking Jenni to help them recreate the same beautiful display in their patients' rooms. It is now commonly referred to as "the tunnel of love" and something that this ICU is known for.
In another situation, Jenni advocated for, educated, and guided the family of a complicated COVID patient who was not responding to a multitude of difficult treatments. She arranged a Zoom meeting with 15 family members to help them understand the situation and their options. She coordinated Palliative/Comfort care and ensured medical team coordination and that the wishes of the family were heard.
Jenni makes a difference every day she works. This story of her assessing the situation and realizing the family needed information led to a beautiful peaceful passing. What do you do when a patient is on multiple drips, every Medical intervention is done, yet the patient is still not going to make it? You hope Jenni can be there to intervene and ensure the family’s wishes are heard by the Medical team.
When I asked Jenni where she got the inspiration to create the 'tunnel of love' she said, "I wanted to find a way to show the patients' families that even though their loved ones are alone during the pandemic, nurses have not lost their heart or compassion. We will remain to treat the patients as if they were our loved ones."
Jenni quickly coordinated a meeting with Child Life, the medical team, and unit leadership. She advocated for emergency visitation approval and arranged for necessary approvals. She wanted to create a warm and loving environment that would welcome the patient's family. Jenni anticipated that her other two kids might get scared seeing their mother in critical condition and wanted to give them something else to focus on. She drew and hand-cut hearts that she connected with a string of lights. She draped the hearts and lights above the patient's bed. The patient's children loved the lights and said it was a happy way to remember their mother.
The heartwarming interaction between the patient's family and Jenni was something that everyone in the unit noticed and admired. Other nurses began asking Jenni to help them recreate the same beautiful display in their patients' rooms. It is now commonly referred to as "the tunnel of love" and something that this ICU is known for.
In another situation, Jenni advocated for, educated, and guided the family of a complicated COVID patient who was not responding to a multitude of difficult treatments. She arranged a Zoom meeting with 15 family members to help them understand the situation and their options. She coordinated Palliative/Comfort care and ensured medical team coordination and that the wishes of the family were heard.
Jenni makes a difference every day she works. This story of her assessing the situation and realizing the family needed information led to a beautiful peaceful passing. What do you do when a patient is on multiple drips, every Medical intervention is done, yet the patient is still not going to make it? You hope Jenni can be there to intervene and ensure the family’s wishes are heard by the Medical team.
When I asked Jenni where she got the inspiration to create the 'tunnel of love' she said, "I wanted to find a way to show the patients' families that even though their loved ones are alone during the pandemic, nurses have not lost their heart or compassion. We will remain to treat the patients as if they were our loved ones."